Meaning and Usage
The adjective きまりわるい expresses feelings of awkwardness or shame, often in social situations where one feels embarrassed or uncomfortable due to a mistake, a social faux pas, or an unexpected event.
Common Contexts
It is frequently used when someone feels self-conscious after doing something embarrassing, such as falling down, forgetting a promise, or making a mistake in front of others.
Collocations and Patterns
- きまりわるい気持ちになる: to feel awkward or ashamed
- きまりわるくて顔が赤くなる: to feel so embarrassed that one's face turns red
- きまりわるい思いをする: to experience embarrassment or shame
Register and Nuance
This word is somewhat informal and often used in everyday conversation to express mild embarrassment. It is less formal than words like 恥ずかしい but conveys a similar nuance of feeling socially uncomfortable.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse きまりわるい with 恥ずかしい. While both relate to embarrassment, きまりわるい often emphasizes the awkwardness or social discomfort aspect, whereas 恥ずかしい can also mean shy or modest. Use きまりわるい when focusing on the awkward or uneasy feeling after a social blunder.