Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Embarrass in Spanish: Avergonzar
Avergonzar · verb · ah-behr-gohn-SAHR
Avergonzar is the Spanish verb meaning to embarrass or to shame someone. It is a stem-changing verb (o → ue) in the present tense, so it becomes avergüenzo in the first person. The reflexive form avergonzarse means to feel embarrassed. Be careful not to confuse this with embarazar, which means to impregnate.
Pronounce avergonzar as ah-behr-gohn-SAHR, stressing the last syllable. Remember that the z sounds like an s in Latin America.
No quiero avergonzarte frente a todos.
I don't want to embarrass you in front of everyone.
Embarrass in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for embarrass, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| avergonzar | embarrass | ah-behr-gohn-SAHR | Default, widely understood |
| dar pena | embarrass | Mexico — to cause someone embarrassment | |
| hacer pasar vergüenza | embarrass | phrase meaning to make someone feel ashamed |
How Native Speakers Use Avergonzar
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Embarrassing someone else
Sus comentarios avergonzaron a toda la familia.
His comments embarrassed the entire family.
Avergonzar takes a direct object when someone causes embarrassment to another person.
Feeling embarrassed (reflexive)
Me avergüenzo de haber dicho eso en público.
I'm embarrassed about having said that in public.
The reflexive avergonzarse is used when the subject feels the embarrassment themselves.
Using dar pena in Mexico
Me da mucha pena hablar frente a tanta gente.
It really embarrasses me to speak in front of so many people.
In Mexican Spanish, dar pena is the go-to phrase for expressing embarrassment in casual settings.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Avergonzar
Using embarazar as a verb for embarrass
Incorrect: No me quiero embarazar.
Correct: No me quiero avergonzar.
Embarazar means to make pregnant, so saying no me quiero embarazar tells people you don't want to get pregnant, not that you don't want to be embarrassed.
Missing the stem change in present tense
Incorrect: Yo avergonzo a mis padres.
Correct: Yo avergüenzo a mis padres.
Avergonzar is a stem-changing verb where o changes to ue in stressed syllables of the present tense. The dieresis on the ü is also required after g to maintain the w sound.
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Common Questions About Embarrass in Spanish
- How do you say to embarrass in Spanish?
- The verb is avergonzar. For example, No quería avergonzar a nadie means I didn't want to embarrass anyone. In Mexico, the phrase dar pena serves the same purpose in everyday speech.
- Is embarazar the Spanish word for embarrass?
- Despite looking similar to embarrass, embarazar actually means to impregnate or to make pregnant. Using it when you mean embarrass is one of the most common and memorable mistakes English speakers make in Spanish.
- How do you conjugate avergonzar?
- Avergonzar is an o-to-ue stem-changing verb. In the present tense: yo avergüenzo, tú avergüenzas, él/ella avergüenza, nosotros avergonzamos. Note the dieresis (ü) that appears when the ue follows g, which keeps the g soft.