恥はじらい

は

じ

ら

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

shyness; bashfulness; self-consciousness

Refers to a feeling of shyness or embarrassment, often with a nuance of modest, endearing self-consciousness. Commonly used in contexts describing a person's demeanor or reaction.

彼かの女じょは恥はじらいを見みせながら微笑ほほえんだ。
She smiled with a hint of bashfulness.
若わか者ものの恥はじらいがだんだん薄うすれている気きがする。
I feel that young people's shyness is gradually fading.

Written forms

恥はじらいUsage85%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
羞はじらいUsage8%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant combining the rare kanji 羞 with non-standard okurigana.
羞はじらいUsage7%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 羞 is a less common character for this word.

Kanji

恥shame, dishonor
羞feel ashamed

Similar words

恥はずかしさ
恥ずかしさ is a more general and common word for embarrassment or shame, while 恥じらい specifically implies a modest, often charming shyness.
内うち気き
内気 describes a personality trait of being introverted or shy by nature, whereas 恥じらい is more about a temporary feeling or display of bashfulness.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 恥じらう (to feel shy), which itself comes from 恥じる (to feel ashamed) with the suffix らう indicating a state or appearance. The exact historical development is uncertain.