Key Facts
- Hangul: 창피하다 (changpihada)
- Meaning: embarrassing
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 창피하
- Class: 하다 type
What Does 창피하다 Mean?
창피하다 is about being seen in an awkward moment. 사람들 앞에서 창피해요 means "I feel embarrassed in front of people", and the cause can be a stumble, a mistake or a clumsy remark. The embarrassing event takes 이/가, as in 그 일이 창피해요, and the person who feels it takes 은/는. Intensifiers such as 정말 and 너무 often come first.
How Do You Pronounce 창피하다?
No spelling in the stem triggers a sound change, so the first three syllables are read as written. The past 창피했어요 is [창피해써요], and the formal 창피합니다 is [창피함니다]. The planned future 창피할 거예요 is read [창피할꺼예요].
How Do You Use 창피하다 in a Sentence?
넘어져서 너무 창피해요.
I fell down, so I'm so embarrassed.
넘어져서 means "because I fell", and 너무 raises the intensity. The cause is a physical stumble in public.
발표 때 창피했어요.
I was embarrassed during the presentation.
발표 때 means "during the presentation", so the past tense reports a moment that has passed. Nothing in it is an apology.
창피하면 말하지 않아도 돼요.
If you are embarrassed, you don't have to say it.
The conditional 창피하면 sets up a gentle permission: you may stay silent. 말하지 않아도 돼요 completes the thought.
Usage Notes for 창피하다
Everyday and informal, 창피하다 often appears as 창피한 일, an embarrassing matter. It often concerns how you look to others, though it can also be felt in private when remembering a mistake. The noun phrase 창피를 당하다 means to be humiliated, and in it 창피 is the noun. If you want to say you are sorry, switch to 미안하다. For admiration instead of embarrassment the opposite direction is 자랑스럽다.
How Does Changpihada Conjugation Work?
창피하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 창피해요 | ||
| Polite past | 창피했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 창피할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 창피하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 창피합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 창피했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 창피할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 창피해 | ||
| Casual past | 창피했어 | ||
| Casual future | 창피할 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 창피해서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 창피하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 창피한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 창피했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 창피할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 창피해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 창피하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 창피해요 | — |
| Polite past | 창피했어요 | [창피해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 창피할 거예요 | [창피할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 창피하겠어요 | [창피하게써요] |
| Formal present | 창피합니다 | [창피함니다] |
| Formal past | 창피했습니다 | [창피핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 창피할 것입니다 | [창피할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 창피해 | — |
| Casual past | 창피했어 | [창피해써] |
| Casual future | 창피할 거야 | [창피할꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 창피해서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 창피하면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 창피한 | — |
| Modifier, past | 창피했던 | [창피핻떤] |
| Modifier, future | 창피할 | — |
| Short negative | 안 창피해요 | — |
| Long negative | 창피하지 않아요 | [창피하지 아나요] |
Is 창피하다 Regular or Irregular?
Everything regular about 하다 adjectives applies to 창피하다. The stem 창피하 swaps 하 for 해 before 아/어 endings, as in 창피해요 and 창피해서. Consonant endings leave 하 whole, as in 창피합니다 and 창피하지 않아요. There are no spelling surprises inside 창피. The lesson on 하다 verbs and 해요 shows the contraction step by step.
Common Mistake with 창피하다
Wrong: ✗ 창피를 해요
Correct: ✓ 창피해요
Why: 창피 is a noun, so adding 를 and 해요 builds something that sounds foreign. The adjective conjugates directly, and the noun phrase is 창피를 당하다.
창피하다 Versus 부끄럽다 and 미안하다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 부끄럽다 | 부끄럽다 includes shyness and shame. 창피하다 often focuses on embarrassment or loss of face; the two words overlap. |
| 미안하다 | 미안하다 is sorry toward someone. 창피하다 is about your own loss of face. |
After a Presentation Mistake
Two classmates are talking after a presentation. Mina forgot a word while speaking. Jisu gives her room to decide whether she wants to discuss it.
Jisu
발표 때 창피했어요?
Balpyo ttae changpihaesseoyo?
Were you embarrassed during the presentation?
Mina
네. 지금도 창피해요.
Ne. Jigeumdo changpihaeyo.
Yes. I still feel embarrassed.
Jisu
창피하면 말하지 않아도 돼요.
Changpihamyeon malhaji anado dwaeyo.
If you are embarrassed, you don't have to talk about it.
Mina
고마워요.
Gomawoyo.
Thank you.
The first question locates the feeling in a past event with 창피했어요. Mina switches to 창피해요 because the feeling continues now. 지금도 means “even now” or “still”. The last use, 창피하면, makes embarrassment a condition rather than assuming Mina must feel it. That matters when you are trying to comfort someone.
Phrases for Awkward Moments
창피한 일 means “an embarrassing incident” or “something embarrassing”. 일 can refer to an event or matter, so the phrase does not necessarily mean embarrassing work. Use 창피한 before the noun when you are naming the incident; use 창피해요 when you are describing how you feel about it.
The adjective has no built-in English distinction between “embarrassing” and “embarrassed”. An event can be 창피한 일, and a person can say 창피해요 about their own feeling. Translate according to what the sentence describes.
창피를 당하다 means “to suffer humiliation”. The literal structure is to undergo embarrassment. It puts more weight on what happened to the person than a simple report of feeling awkward. A public scolding can fit this phrase; forgetting one word during a friendly conversation may only call for 창피해요.
창피를 주다 means “to embarrass someone” or “to humiliate someone”. Here the embarrassment is something a person causes. Compare the roles: 당하다 puts the affected person in focus, while 주다 puts the person causing the humiliation in focus. Neither phrase means giving a physical object.
Where Will You Hear 창피하다?
In dramas and everyday conversation, 창피해 is a quick reaction after a public mistake. Friends may use it about singing badly, calling someone by the wrong name, or being teased in front of others. 창피해요 gives the same feeling with a polite ending. The word itself is ordinary conversational Korean, rather than slang.
Tone changes the effect. Describing your own embarrassment can invite sympathy. Describing another person's behavior as embarrassing can sound like criticism, especially in front of other people. A softer question gives the person a chance to explain. The dialogue uses a condition and permission instead of telling Mina that she ought to be ashamed.
창피하다 and 부끄럽다 overlap in shame and embarrassment. The public loss-of-face idea is a useful starting point for 창피하다, but it is not a strict rule that other people must actually be watching. Remembering an awkward moment alone can still make someone feel 창피해요. For shy pleasure after a compliment, 부끄럽다 is often a better fit.
Words for the Rest of the Situation
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 실수 | mistake | Name the slip that caused the embarrassment. |
| 발표 | presentation | Identify the setting of the example and dialogue. |
| 긴장 | nervousness | Describe anxiety before speaking rather than embarrassment afterward. |
| 체면 | social face / dignity | Understand why a public mistake may feel humiliating. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson gives you more words for describing the feeling. 긴장 and 창피 can occur around the same presentation, but they tell the listener different things: fear before speaking and embarrassment about what happened.
Mini Drill: Feeling, Incident or Condition?
- Report yesterday's feeling politely: 창피하다 → ____.
- Put the adjective before 일: ____ 일.
- Complete “If you feel embarrassed”: ____.
- Make the long polite negative of 창피하다.
Show the embarrassment drill answers
- 창피했어요.
- 창피한 일. The adjective modifies the incident.
- 창피하면.
- 창피하지 않아요. Keep a space before 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase puts the person suffering humiliation in focus?
- Does 창피해요 itself apologize to another person?
- Must other people be physically present for you to feel 창피하다?
Show self-test answers
- 창피를 당하다.
- No. 미안해요 expresses an apology; 창피해요 describes embarrassment.
- No. A memory of a public mistake can bring back the feeling when you are alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I'm so Embarrassed?
Say 너무 창피해요. If you fell, add the reason: 넘어져서 너무 창피해요.
What Is the Difference from 부끄럽다?
부끄럽다 can describe shyness or shame; 창피하다 often emphasizes embarrassment or loss of face. Their meanings overlap, and 창피하다 can also describe a remembered incident.
Can I Say 창피를 해요?
No. Say 창피해요, because the adjective conjugates directly.
How Do I Say It Was Embarrassing?
Use the past: 창피했어요, said [창피해써요].
Which Words Are Related to 창피하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 부끄럽다 next, then 자랑스럽다 for pride and 긴장되다 for nerves. Further stems are one step away in the Korean verb conjugator, and the Korean verb dictionary has a page for each.