70. be embarrassed는 ‘당황하다’가 아니다

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. 핵심 설명
• 2. 틀린 표현 고치기
• 3. 대화 예문
• 4. 연습 문장 ①: 상황별 ‘당황하다’ 표현
• 5. 연습 문장 ②: 놀람/당황 표현의 확장
• 6. 심화 표현 및 고급 뉘앙스
• 7. be embarrassed는 어떻게 써야 자연스러운가?
• 8. 표현 정리 요약

be embarrassed는 ‘당황하다’가 아니다

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1. 핵심 설명

• embarrassed는 ‘민망하다’, ‘창피하다’, ‘부끄럽다’에 가깝다.
• → 감정의 초점이 자신의 실수나 체면 손상에 있다.
• 한국어의 ‘당황하다’는 다양한 맥락에서 쓰이기 때문에 영어로 옮길 땐 상황에 따라 적절한 표현을 골라야 한다.

의미 영어 표현 비고

순간적으로 어쩔 줄 모를 때	I didn’t know what to do / say	판단이 안 서는 느낌
놀라서 정신없을 때	panic / freak out	감정 폭발형
예기치 못한 상황	be caught off guard / take by surprise	준비되지 않았을 때
논리적으로 이해되지 않아 멍할 때	be perplexed / confused / puzzled	인지 불가한 상황

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2. 틀린 표현 고치기

• ❌ I was embarrassed when he asked for my number in front of everyone.
• ✅ I was caught off guard when he asked for my number in front of everyone.
• → 민망하다기보다는 예상치 못한 요청에 어리둥절했다는 의미이다.
• ❌ She looked embarrassed when the presentation didn’t load.
• ✅ She looked like she didn’t know what to do when the presentation didn’t load.
• → 창피한 게 아니라 당황한 상황을 설명하고자 할 때는 행동 중심의 묘사가 더 자연스럽다.

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3. 대화 예문

A: I was in the middle of presenting, and the screen suddenly went black.

B: Oh no. What did you do?

A: Honestly, I just froze. I didn’t know what to say.

B: That would totally catch me off guard too. Did it come back on?

A: Eventually, but I could feel everyone just staring. I tried not to panic, but it was rough.

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4. 연습 문장 ①: 상황별 ‘당황하다’ 표현

1) not know what to do / say

• He suddenly proposed, and I didn’t know what to say.
• When the flight got canceled, I didn’t know what to do.

2) panic

• I heard the fire alarm and panicked, thinking it was real.
• Don’t panic—just follow the instructions.

3) be caught off guard

• I was completely caught off guard when she showed up uninvited.
• The question caught him off guard, and he stuttered a little.

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5. 연습 문장 ②: 놀람/당황 표현의 확장

1) take someone by surprise

• The early release of the product took everyone by surprise.
• His reaction took me by surprise, but it made sense later.

2) freak out

• I freaked out when I realized I left my passport at home.
• He doesn’t usually freak out, but that news really shook him.

3) be perplexed / puzzled / confused

• I was completely perplexed by his sudden change in attitude.
• She looked puzzled, as if she didn’t understand the question.

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6. 심화 표현 및 고급 뉘앙스

1) feel overwhelmed

→ 당황, 불안, 부담이 한꺼번에 밀려올 때

• I felt overwhelmed by all the questions during the interview.

2) lose your train of thought

→ 갑자기 머릿속이 하얘졌을 때

• I got so nervous I completely lost my train of thought.

3) go blank

→ 순간적으로 아무 생각도 안 날 때

• When they called my name, I just went blank and forgot everything.

4) freeze up

→ 얼어붙다, 몸이 굳다

• I tried to introduce myself, but I froze up the moment I stood up.

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7. be embarrassed는 어떻게 써야 자연스러운가?

embarrassed는 ‘체면이 깎였거나 민망할 때’ 사용해야 자연스럽다.

상황 올바른 예시

청바지가 찢어졌을 때	I was so embarrassed I had to walk backwards.
말실수로 웃음거리 됐을 때	I felt embarrassed when I mispronounced his name.
실수로 누군가를 부딪혔을 때	She looked embarrassed and apologized right away.

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8. 표현 정리 요약

감정 표현 사용 맥락

창피하다	be embarrassed	나의 실수나 체면 손상
당황해서 말이 막힘	not know what to say/do	순간적인 멍함
예상치 못한 상황	be caught off guard / taken by surprise	준비되지 않은 상황
감정 폭발	panic / freak out	갑작스러운 긴장, 무서움
논리적 혼란	perplexed / puzzled / confused	이해되지 않을 때
무력감, 압박감	feel overwhelmed	감정적으로 눌릴 때

 

※영어 표현 목록은 빨모쌤의 라이브 영어회화를 참고하였습니다.

 

69. ‘찾다’는 find가 아닐 때도 많다

 

68. ‘난 ~하기가 힘들어’는 I’m hard to ~가 아니다

 

67. ‘~까지’가 기한을 의미할 땐 until 대신 by