Key Facts
- Hangul: 부끄러워하다 (bukkeureowohada)
- Meaning: to be shy
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 부끄러워하
- Conjugation class: 하다
- Grammar: The cause takes 을/를 or 에 대해 (실수를 부끄러워하다), and the person takes 이/가.
- Usage: Often used about children or someone else's reaction. 부끄럼을 타다 is a similar idiom for being shy.
What Does 부끄러워하다 Mean?
부끄러워하다 describes behavior that you can see: 사람들 앞에서 부끄러워하다 is to be shy in front of people. The person takes 이/가, and the cause takes 을/를 or 에 대해, as in 실수를 부끄러워하다.
The word has six syllables, and the -어하다 ending turns the adjective 부끄럽다 into a verb of showing the feeling.
How Do You Pronounce 부끄러워하다?
부끄러워하다 is read as written. The polite present is 부끄러워해요 and the past is 부끄러워했어요, both formed from 하 + 여 contracting to 해.
How Do You Use 부끄러워하다 in a Sentence?
아이가 낯선 사람 앞에서 부끄러워해요.
The child is shy in front of strangers.
아이가 is the subject and 낯선 사람 앞에서 means in front of strangers. 부끄러워해요 describes what the child shows.
동생은 큰 소리로 말하기를 부끄러워했어요.
My younger sibling was embarrassed to speak loudly.
동생은 큰 소리로 말하기를 uses 기 to turn speaking loudly into a noun, and the past form reports the reaction.
동생은 실수해도 부끄러워하지 않아요.
My younger sibling is not ashamed even when making mistakes.
부끄러워하지 않아요 is the long negative: not ashamed even when making mistakes.
How Does Bukkeureowohada Conjugation Work?
The stem 부끄러워하 uses the 하다 pattern, so 아/어 endings give 해: 부끄러워해요, 부끄러워했어요. The negative is 부끄러워하지 않아요. The adjective behind it, 부끄럽다, is a separate word with its own forms.
부끄러워하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 부끄러워해요 | ||
| Polite past | 부끄러워했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 부끄러워할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 부끄러워하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 부끄러워합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 부끄러워했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 부끄러워할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 부끄러워해 | ||
| Casual past | 부끄러워했어 | ||
| Casual future | 부끄러워할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 부끄러워하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 부끄러워하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 부끄러워해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 부끄러워하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 부끄러워하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 부끄러워한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 부끄러워할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 부끄러워해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 부끄러워하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 부끄러워했어요 | [부끄러워해써요] |
| Polite future | 부끄러워할 거예요 | [부끄러워할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 부끄러워하겠어요 | [부끄러워하게써요] |
| Formal present | 부끄러워합니다 | [부끄러워함니다] |
| Formal past | 부끄러워했습니다 | [부끄러워핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 부끄러워할 것입니다 | [부끄러워할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 부끄러워했어 | [부끄러워해써] |
| Casual future | 부끄러워할 거야 | [부끄러워할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 부끄러워하고 싶어요 | [부끄러워하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 부끄러워하지 않아요 | [부끄러워하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 저는 부끄러워해요 for I am embarrassed right now
Correct: ✓ 부끄러워요
Why: For your own current feeling use the adjective: 부끄러워요. The -어하다 verb describes the reaction from the outside. It fits reports of someone’s behavior, while 부끄러워요 directly expresses your current feeling.
Whose Feelings Does 부끄러워하다 Describe?
Mostly someone else's. The subjects in the sentences above are 아이가 and 동생은, both third persons whose shyness you can observe. The same pattern exists for other feelings: 무서워하다 (to be scared) and 미안해하다 (to be sorry).
A related idiom is 부끄럼을 타다, which also means being shy.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 부끄러워하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 부끄러워하다 |
|---|---|
| 부끄럽다 | 부끄럽다 is the feeling itself, I am embarrassed; 부끄러워하다 describes someone showing that feeling, usually a third person. |
| 창피하다 | 창피하다 is embarrassment from losing face; 부끄러워하다 can also mean shy or ashamed. |
A Child at a Family Gathering
Jisu and Minho are watching a younger cousin greet relatives. The child has become less shy since the previous gathering.
Jisu
아이가 부끄러워해요.
Aiga bukkeureowohaeyo.
The child is acting shy.
Minho
어제도 부끄러워했어요.
Eojedo bukkeureowohaesseoyo.
The child was shy yesterday too.
Jisu
지금은 부끄러워하지 않아요.
Jigeumeun bukkeureowohaji anayo.
The child isn’t acting shy now.
The last line can follow a moment when the child starts joining in. 어제도 places the reaction yesterday as well; 지금은 contrasts the child’s behavior now. The speakers describe someone else’s visible response, so the -어하다 verb fits all three lines.
Does 부끄러워하다 Mean Shy, Embarrassed, or Ashamed?
부끄러워하다 can describe shyness without any wrongdoing. A child may avoid looking at unfamiliar relatives or hesitate to speak in front of a group. In that setting, “act shy” or “be shy” is a better English translation than “be ashamed.”
With a mistake or bad behavior as the cause, “be ashamed of” may fit. 실수를 부끄러워하다 means to feel or show shame about a mistake. The context supplies the reason for the reaction; the verb alone does not tell you whether the person did something wrong.
칭찬을 부끄러워하다 describes being embarrassed by praise. The praise is positive, but being the center of attention makes the person shy. This is useful in descriptions of interviews or variety shows, where someone lowers their head or laughs after receiving a compliment.
말하기를 부끄러워하다 means to feel shy about speaking. The 기 ending turns 말하다 into an activity that can take 를. The longer example above adds 큰 소리로, “in a loud voice.” This construction lets you name exactly what the person feels shy about.
What Does 부끄럼을 타다 Add?
부끄럼을 타다 is a common way to describe a tendency to get shy. Translate the whole phrase as “be shy” or “be easily embarrassed”; translating 타다 as “ride” does not explain it. 부끄럼 names the shyness, while the full phrase describes how readily someone experiences it.
부끄러워하다 works well for a reaction in a particular scene. 부끄럼을 타다 often describes a broader personal tendency. A confident person can still 부끄러워하다 after a compliment. One shy moment does not by itself establish the person’s usual character.
낯을 가리다 means to be shy or reserved around unfamiliar people. It is useful for a child who behaves differently around strangers than around family. It narrows the situation to unfamiliar company; 부끄러워하다 can concern praise, mistakes, or public attention as well.
Where Will You Hear This Long Verb?
Family conversations, entertainment interviews, and descriptions of children all use 부끄러워하다. The verb lets a speaker describe another person’s emotional reaction. A report might use the formal 부끄러워합니다, while ordinary polite conversation uses 부끄러워해요.
The honorific 부끄러워하세요 respects the person showing the feeling. It can describe an older person being shy; it is not automatically a command to become embarrassed. The situation and sentence type determine whether 세요 is a statement or a request.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 부끄럽다 | to feel shy / ashamed | The adjective for a feeling, including your own current feeling. |
| 부끄럼 | shyness | The noun in 부끄럼을 타다. |
| 칭찬 | praise | A positive cause of an embarrassed reaction. |
| 실수 | mistake | A possible cause of shame or embarrassment. |
Explore the surrounding feeling words in Korean emotions vocabulary.
Which Part Changes When You Conjugate It?
Keep 부끄러워 intact and change the final 하다 portion: 부끄러워해요, 부끄러워했어요, 부끄러워해서. Although the source adjective 부끄럽다 has a ㅂ change, you do not apply that change again to this verb. Its dictionary stem already contains 워.
Write 부끄러워하다 as one word. The long negative is 부끄러워하지 않아요, with a space before 않아요. The short negative 안 부끄러워해요 places 안 before the whole verb. The earlier first-person correction is useful for an immediate feeling; first-person descriptions of your own habitual behavior can still use the verb.
Mini Drill: Follow the Feeling or the Behavior
- Describe your own immediate embarrassment with the adjective.
- Give the polite past of 부끄러워하다.
- Make the long negative in the polite present.
- Choose the present modifier: 부끄러워하는 or 부끄러워한.
Show drill answers
- 부끄러워요.
- 부끄러워했어요.
- 부끄러워하지 않아요.
- 부끄러워하는; 부끄러워한 points to a past reaction.
Quick Self-Test
- Must someone have done something wrong to 부끄러워하다?
- Which phrase often describes a tendency to get shy?
- In 칭찬을 부끄러워하다, what causes the reaction?
Show answers
- No. Shyness after praise or around strangers also fits.
- 부끄럼을 타다.
- 칭찬, praise.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Do I Use 부끄러워하다?
Use it to describe how another person shows shyness or shame, such as a child: 아이가 낯선 사람 앞에서 부끄러워해요.
How Do I Say I Am Embarrassed?
Say 부끄러워요, from the adjective 부끄럽다. The -어하다 verb would describe you as if from the outside.
What Is an Idiom for Being Shy?
부끄럼을 타다 describes someone who gets shy easily, by nature.
How Do I Say Someone Is Not Ashamed?
Use the long negative 부끄러워하지 않아요, as in 동생은 실수해도 부끄러워하지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 부끄러워하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 부끄럽다 next, then 창피하다 for losing face. 하다 to 해요 explains the 해요 pattern, the Korean verb conjugator tests more words, and the Korean verb dictionary lists related entries. Negation is in negating 하다 verbs.