How to Say ‘Feel Embarrassed’ and ‘Embarrass Yourself’ in Portuguese
Use passar vergonha for an embarrassing experience, ficar com vergonha for the feeling, and ter vergonha for embarrassment or shyness.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Passar vergonha means to go through an embarrassing situation or, in some contexts, to embarrass yourself. The focus is on what happened in front of other people. It often sounds more vivid than simply saying that you felt shy.
Use passar vergonha for an embarrassing moment
The phrase can be playful among friends, but it may also criticize someone. If you are describing your own mistake, context and a light tone can keep the sentence from sounding harsh.
Passei vergonha quando esqueci o nome do professor.
I was embarrassed when I forgot the teacher’s name.
Ele passou vergonha no karaokê, mas todo mundo riu junto.
He embarrassed himself at karaoke, but everyone laughed along.
Não quero passar vergonha na apresentação.
I don’t want to embarrass myself in the presentation.
Use ficar com vergonha to name the feeling
Ficar com vergonha describes becoming or feeling embarrassed in a moment. Ter vergonha can describe a general feeling, shyness, or reluctance. These expressions focus more directly on the person’s internal reaction than passar vergonha.
The preposition matters: ficar com vergonha is the common pattern. Avoid translating ‘I am embarrassed’ word for word as eu sou envergonhado unless you mean a more lasting characteristic.
Fiquei com vergonha de perguntar.
I felt embarrassed to ask.
Ela tem vergonha de falar em público.
She is shy about speaking in public.
Não precisa ficar com vergonha; pode perguntar.
You don’t need to feel embarrassed; you can ask.
Put it into practice
Passar vergonha frames an embarrassing event; ficar com vergonha names a feeling in the moment; ter vergonha can describe a general feeling or shyness.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I don’t want to embarrass myself in the presentation”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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