خجالت

What it means

خجالت (khejâlat) means “embarrassment” or “shyness.” It is an Arabic loanword from the root kh-j-l. The verb form is khejâlat keshidan, literally “to pull embarrassment,” meaning to feel embarrassed.

How to use it

• خجالت می‌کشم (khejâlat mikesham) “I feel embarrassed”
• خجالت نکش (khejâlat nakesh) “don’t be shy”
• از خجالت سرخ شد (az khejâlat sorkh shod) “He turned red from embarrassment”

Common pairings and compounds

• خجالتی (khejâlati) “shy person, bashful”
• خجالت‌آور (khejâlat-âvar) “embarrassing, shameful”
• بی‌خجالت (bi-khejâlat) “shameless”

Cultural note

Khejâlat is the polite reflex behind much of taarof. When a host insists you take the last piece of food and you say khejâlat mikesham, you are signaling deference, not literal shame. The word also tracks closely with âberu, social face: to make someone embarrassed in public is a serious breach.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab
• Wiktionary