To embarrass

To embarrass
 

Tengo dos amigas en Uruguay. Una no habla ingles. Ella está el motivo original que yo quiero aprender español. Ayer escribí un mensaje (¿como se dice "an email"?) en español.

Una oración era (¿fue?): Todavía achato que mi español estuvo mucho mal.

Yo trataba decir: "I am still embarrassed that my Spanish was so bad."

(In reference to a time back in October when she and another mutual friend were in DC and we went out for lunch and I wanted to speak Spanish to her without the third party translation in between ... all of that based on my 20 years' ago college Spanish........ It was really, really bad!)

A Brazilian friend who speaks some Spanish saw the e-mail this morning and told me that he's not sure that the word "achatar" would be recognized as "embarrassed".

So ... do you agree? Is there a better word? Also, should it have been something with a reflexive pronoun: "Todavía me achato que...." ??

form sentir vergüenza - to feel shame(?) or be shy

Hernan.

Besides avergonzarse, you could also use estoy avergonzada or me da pena.
Achatar won't be understood as embarrassed.

email = correo electrónico

dar pena. I think it is used in mexico. At least in chile "pena" means "sorrow" only. I haven't looked in RAE. I just base my critiques/corrections in my usage of castelian. (CYA) Right? :-)

Hernan.

Yep, where I learned Spanish, they use pena to mean shame/embarrassment.

pena
(Del lat. poena).

1. f. Castigo impuesto conforme a la ley por los jueces o tribunales a los responsables de un delito o falta.
2. f. Cuidado, aflicción o sentimiento interior grande.
3. f. Dolor, tormento o sentimiento corporal.
4. f. Dificultad, trabajo.
5. f. Cinta adornada con una joya en cada punta, que usaban las mujeres anudándola al cuello y dejando los cabos pendientes sobre el pecho.
6. f. Velo de luto riguroso que, sujeto del sombrero, llevaban las mujeres, flotante sobre la espalda.
7. f. Á. Caribe, Am. Cen. y Méx. vergüenza.
8. f. C. Rica, Guat., Hond. y Nic. pudor.
9. f. C. Rica. encogimiento (‖ cortedad).
Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

The most common way of saying this in Mexico would be with "pena", but since you're corresponding with someone in Uruguay, use vergüenza or avergonzarse.

Aún estoy avergonzada que ...
Aún me avergüenzo que ...

I have learned and heard estoy avergonzado/a to mean "I am embarassed"

Be sure not to confuse yourself and say estoy embarazada ;)

Ah, and also means Lástima, which would be keen to sorrow. In chile.

Hernan.

I did a bit correction. I don't like the phrase. I feel that is less popular in my country because it doesn't make sence.