Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'Ashamed'

English Word: Ashamed

Key Russian Translations:

• стыдно [ˈstɨdnə] - [Neutral, Adverb]
• пристыженный [prʲɪˈstɨʐɨnːɨj] - [Formal, Adjective]
• смущённый [smuˈɕːonːɨj] - [Informal, Adjective, Often for mild embarrassment]

Frequency: Medium

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate) for "стыдно"; B2 (Upper-Intermediate) for "пристыженный" and "смущённый"

Pronunciation (Russian):

стыдно: [ˈstɨdnə]

Note on стыдно: Stress falls on the first syllable. The "ы" sound is unique to Russian and can be challenging for non-native speakers; it’s a sound between "i" and "u".

пристыженный: [prʲɪˈstɨʐɨnːɨj]

Note on пристыженный: Note the soft "р" and the stress on the second syllable. The double "н" is pronounced distinctly.

смущённый: [smuˈɕːonːɨj]

Note on смущённый: Stress on the second syllable. The "щ" sound is a soft "sh" sound, common in Russian.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Feeling guilt or disgrace

Translation(s) & Context:

• стыдно - Used as an adverb to express a general feeling of shame or guilt.
• пристыженный - Used as an adjective to describe someone who has been made to feel ashamed, often in a formal or serious context.

Usage Examples:

• Мне стыдно за своё поведение.

  I am ashamed of my behavior.

• Ему было стыдно перед друзьями.

  He felt ashamed in front of his friends.

• Она выглядела пристыженной после замечания учителя.

  She looked ashamed after the teacher’s remark.

2. Feeling embarrassed or self-conscious

Translation(s) & Context:

• смущённый - Used for lighter feelings of embarrassment or shyness, often in informal settings.

Usage Examples:

• Он был смущён, когда его похвалили.

  He was embarrassed when he was praised.

• Она смущённо улыбнулась и отвела взгляд.

  She smiled shyly and looked away.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

стыдно: This is an adverb and does not inflect. It remains unchanged regardless of context, gender, or number.

пристыженный: This is an adjective and declines according to gender, number, and case. Below is a simplified declension table for the nominative case:

Gender/Number	Form
Masculine Singular	пристыженный
Feminine Singular	пристыженная
Neuter Singular	пристыженное
Plural	пристыженные

смущённый: Similar to "пристыженный", this adjective also declines. See a similar pattern in nominative case:

Gender/Number	Form
Masculine Singular	смущённый
Feminine Singular	смущённая
Neuter Singular	смущённое
Plural	смущённые

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for стыдно:

• позорно (more intense, often implying disgrace)
• неловко (milder, closer to awkwardness)

Synonyms for смущённый:

• застенчивый (closer to shy)

Antonyms:

• гордый (proud)
• бесстыдный (shameless)

Related Phrases:

• Мне стыдно признаться - "I’m ashamed to admit" (used when confessing something embarrassing).
• Чувствовать себя пристыженным - "To feel ashamed" (used in formal or serious contexts).
• Смущённый взгляд - "An embarrassed look" (used to describe someone’s expression).

Usage Notes:

• "стыдно" is the most common and versatile term for expressing shame or guilt and is often used impersonally (e.g., "Мне стыдно" = "I am ashamed").
• "пристыженный" is more formal and often implies that someone has been made to feel ashamed by an external factor, like criticism.
• "смущённый" is lighter and often used for temporary embarrassment or shyness, especially in social situations.
• Be mindful of the context: using "пристыженный" in an informal setting may sound overly serious, while "смущённый" may not convey deep shame.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "стыдно" as an adjective. It is an adverb and cannot describe a noun directly. Incorrect: "Он стыдно." Correct: "Ему стыдно."
• Error: Confusing "смущённый" with deeper shame. Incorrect: Using "смущённый" for serious guilt. Correct: Use "пристыженный" for deeper shame in formal contexts.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, expressing shame or embarrassment can be tied to social norms and personal honor. The concept of "стыд" (shame) is deeply rooted in maintaining social harmony, and admitting fault using "стыдно" is often seen as a sign of sincerity. Publicly shaming someone, however, can be considered harsh, so "пристыженный" often appears in contexts of moral lessons or reprimands.

Related Concepts:

• вина (guilt)
• позор (disgrace)
• неловкость (awkwardness)