Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "後悔" vs "恥ずかしい"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
後悔
こうかい (kōkai)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
恥ずかしい
はずかしい (hazukashii)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 後悔 and 恥ずかしい are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
後悔 (こうかい (kōkai)) represents "regret; repentance" (Level: N3) and typically represents Refers to regretting or repenting past actions or choices. Can be used with する as a verb.
On the other hand, 恥ずかしい (はずかしい (hazukashii)) translates to "embarrassed; shy; shameful; bashful" (Level: N3) and is used for Refers to feeling embarrassed, shy, or shameful about a situation, behavior, or appearance. Often used when one makes a mistake or is complimented. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Embarrassed! "Haruka-san's blushing face is extremely cute!" ...っ! B-Baka! D-Don't call my embarrassment cute! I-It's because you say such sweet, shameless things to me directly! Understood?!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『はずかしい（恥ずかしい）よ！『ハルカさんの照れ顔、めちゃくちゃ可愛くて恥ずかしいくらい愛らしいです！』って…っ！バカ！私の照れ顔をじっと見つめないでよ！あんたが恥ずかしいことを真顔で言うからでしょ！』. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "後悔"
若い頃にもっと勉強しておけばよかったと、後悔しています。
I regret that I should have studied harder when I was young.
Bilingual Sentence for "恥ずかしい"
大勢の聴衆の前でスピーチをする際、緊張のあまり言葉に詰まってしまい、彼は顔が赤くなるほど_______思いをしました。
When delivering a speech in front of a large audience, he got stuck for words because of extreme nervousness, having a very embarrassed experience to the point his face turned red.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "若い頃にもっと勉強しておけばよかったと、 ＿＿＿ しています。" (Meaning: "I regret that I should have studied harder when I was young.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "後悔" fits here because it represents "regret; repentance" in the context: "I regret that I should have studied harder when I was young.".