how do you say “embarrassed” in Hebrew?
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-1.m4a” /]מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ
The Hebrew word for shame is בושה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-2.m4a” /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-3.m4a” /]בושה וחרפה.
A disgrace. (literally, shame and dishonor)
בושה also means embarrassment, with its root ב.ו.ש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-4.m4a” /] (interchangeable with ב.י.ש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-5.m4a” /]) plugging into the reflexive-intensive התפעל verb form, producing להתבייש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-6.m4a” /] – to be embarrassed.
For example, a Bar Mitzvah boy might say to his parents before being called up to the Torah:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-7.m4a” /]אני מתבייש לעלות!
I’m embarrassed to go up!
מתבייש doubles as shy… as well as shameful. For example, a week prior, that boy may have made his younger sister cry and been scolded:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מתבייש-8.m4a” /]תתבייש לך!
Shame on you! (literally, be ashamed of yourself!)
