肩身(かたみ)が狭(せま)い

かたみがせまい
expression
to feel ashamed, to feel awkward
idiomemotion
1. to feel ashamed, embarrassed, or awkward
Describes feeling uncomfortable or unable to hold one's head high, often due to circumstances beyond one's control or the actions of someone close.
息子(むすこ)が問題(もんだい)を起(お)こして肩身(かたみ)が狭(せま)い。
I feel ashamed because my son caused trouble.
失業(しつぎょう)中(ちゅう)で家族(かぞく)に肩身(かたみ)が狭(せま)い。
Being unemployed, I feel awkward around my family.
喫煙者(きつえんしゃ)は最近(さいきん)肩身(かたみ)が狭(せま)くなった。
Smokers have come to feel more uncomfortable in public these days.
借金(しゃっきん)があって、友達(ともだち)の前(まえ)でも肩身(かたみ)が狭(せま)い。
I'm in debt, so I feel awkward even in front of my friends.
周(まわ)りがみんな大学(だいがく)を出(で)ているので、高卒(こうそつ)の自分(じぶん)は肩身(かたみ)が狭(せま)い思(おも)いをしている。
Everyone around me is a college graduate, so being only a high school graduate makes me feel out of place.

Structure: 肩身(かたみ) (one's standing/position, literally 'shoulder-body') + が + 狭(せま)い (narrow). The image is of hunching one's shoulders to take up less space.

Nuance: Often used when one feels embarrassed due to external circumstances (family member's actions, social status) rather than one's own direct wrongdoing. Implies a social dimension - feeling judged by others.

Antonym: 肩身(かたみ)が広(ひろ)い (to feel proud, hold one's head high)

Related words

Related Words

Antonym: 肩身(かたみ)が広(ひろ)い (proud)
Related: 恥(は)ずかしい (embarrassed (more general))

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Body-Part Idioms
core
Added 2026.1.18 19:03 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:05
06500/06891_katamigasemai