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顔から火が出る (かおからひがでる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
ichidan verb, expression
be extremely embarrassed ; burn with shame
idiomatic expression
Idiomatic expression describing a feeling of intense embarrassment, as if one's face is on fire. Often used when one has made a blunder or been put in an awkward situation.
彼かれ の 前まえ で 失しっ 敗ぱい し て 、 顔かお から 火ひ が 出で る ほど 恥は ずかしかっ た 。
I made a mistake in front of him and was so embarrassed I could have died of shame.
Similar words 恥は ずかしい 恥ずかしい is a general adjective for 'embarrassing' or 'shy', while 顔から火が出る is a vivid idiomatic expression for extreme embarrassment.
赤せき 面めん する 赤面する means 'to blush', a physical reaction to embarrassment, whereas 顔から火が出る emphasizes the intense emotional feeling of shame.
Etymology The expression literally means 'fire comes out of one's face', a hyperbolic metaphor for the burning sensation of intense embarrassment. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a common Japanese idiom.
