Estou com vergonha de perguntar.

I am embarrassed to ask.

Breakdown of Estou com vergonha de perguntar.

• estar: to be
• perguntar: to ask
• com vergonha: embarrassed

Questions & Answers about Estou com vergonha de perguntar.

Why is it estou and not sou?

Because Portuguese usually uses estar for a temporary state or feeling, and ser for something more permanent or defining.

So:

• Estou com vergonha = I’m feeling embarrassed / shy right now
• Sou vergonhoso(a) = I’m an embarrassing person, or sometimes “I’m shameful,” which is not the same idea

In this sentence, the speaker is describing a current emotional state, so estou is the natural choice.

Why does Portuguese say com vergonha instead of just using an adjective?

This is a very common Portuguese pattern: estar com + noun to describe a state or condition.

For example:

• Estou com fome = I’m hungry
• Estou com sono = I’m sleepy
• Estou com medo = I’m afraid
• Estou com vergonha = I’m embarrassed / shy

Literally, com vergonha means with embarrassment/shyness, but in natural English we translate it as a feeling: I’m embarrassed, I’m shy, or I feel awkward depending on context.

What exactly does vergonha mean here?