शरम (sharam)
noun
A feeling-noun covering shame, shyness, and modesty; also lives in the common verb-phrase idioms शरम आना (sharam aanaa) and शरम करना (sharam karnaa). This is a variant spelling of शर्म (sharm) -- both are heard constantly in Delhi-NCR speech.
Sense
1
:
shame, embarrassment
noun, feminine Most commonly used with आना (aanaa) in the dative-subject frame: किसी को शरम आना (kisii ko sharam aanaa, 'someone to feel ashamed') -- the feeling is treated as something that 'comes to' the person, not something they actively do.
Synonyms: शर्म (sharm, variant form), लज्जा (lajjaa, literary), संकोच (sankoch)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is a classic dative-subject emotion word, just like लगना (lagnaa) or गुस्सा आना (gussaa aanaa) -- Hindi treats shame as an external force that visits you (शरम आना, 'shame arrives') rather than an internal state you occupy. You'll hear elders scold youngsters with शरम नहीं आती? (sharam nahiin aatii, 'have you no shame?') as a very common rebuke in Delhi-NCR households.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मैं शरम हूँ (main sharam hoon) trying to say 'I am ashamed' -- but Hindi doesn't equate the person with the feeling; you need तुम्हें/मुझे शरम आती है (mujhe sharam aatii hai, 'I feel ashamed') with को-marking, not है (hai) alone. 2) शरम करना (sharam karnaa) does NOT mean 'to feel ashamed' -- it means 'to be shy/reticent about doing something' or, scoldingly, 'to have some shame/decency' (कुछ तो शरम करो! (kuchh to sharam karo, 'have some shame!')).
Sample Sentences:
उसे बहुत शरम आ रही है।
He is feeling very ashamed right now.
(use bahut sharam aa rahii hai।)
तुम्हें शरम नहीं आती?
Have you no shame?
(tumhen sharam nahiin aatii?)
झूठ बोलते हुए उसे शरम आई।
She felt ashamed while telling the lie.
(jhooth bolte hue use sharam aaii।)
अगर उसने वादा तोड़ा होता, तो उसे शरम आती।
If he had broken the promise, he would have felt ashamed.
(agar usne vaadaa todaa hotaa, to use sharam aatii।)
इतना बड़ा होकर भी माँ से झूठ बोला, थोड़ी सी शरम कर लो।
You're so grown up and still you lied to your mother, have some shame.
(itnaa badaa hokar bhii maan se jhooth bolaa, thodii sii sharam kar lo।)
सबके सामने डांट खाकर उसे बहुत शरम आई थी।
He had felt very ashamed after being scolded in front of everyone.
(sabke saamne daant khaakar use bahut sharam aaii thii।)
क्या तुम्हें अपने बड़ों से इस तरह बात करते हुए शरम नहीं आती?
Don't you feel ashamed talking to your elders like this?
(kyaa tumhen apne badon se is tarah baat karte hue sharam nahiin aatii?)
शायद उसे अब जाकर शरम आए।
Maybe he will finally feel ashamed now.
(shaayad use ab jaakar sharam aae।)
उसकी हरकतों से पूरे परिवार को शरम महसूस करवाई गई।
The whole family was made to feel ashamed by his behavior.
(uskii harakton se poore parivaar ko sharam mahsoos karvaaii gaii।)
बेटा, ऐसी हरकतों से बाज़ आ जाओ, थोड़ी तो शरम रखो।
Son, quit these antics, at least have some shame.
(betaa, aisii harakton se baaz aa jaao, thodii to sharam rakho।)
पिताजी के सामने वह झूठ बोलने से पहले हमेशा सोचता है, कहीं शरम न आ जाए।
He always thinks before lying in front of his father, lest he feel ashamed.
(pitaajii ke saamne vah jhooth bolne se pahle hameshaa sochtaa hai, kahiin sharam n aa jaae।)
Sense
2
:
shyness, coyness, modesty
noun, feminine
Synonyms: हया (hayaa), संकोच (sankoch), झिझक (jhijhak)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In traditional family settings, शरम (sharam) as modesty is often praised as a virtue, especially expected of a नई दुल्हन (naii dulhan, 'new bride') or young children in front of elders -- घूँघट (ghoonghat, 'veil') and lowered eyes are the visual shorthand for this kind of शरम (sharam) in North Indian culture.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense overlaps with shame but is softer -- a new bride's शरम (sharam) at meeting in-laws, or a child's शरम (sharam) around strangers, is bashfulness, not guilt; context (not grammar) distinguishes the two senses.
Sample Sentences:
नई दुल्हन के चेहरे पर शरम साफ़ झलक रही थी।
The shyness was clearly showing on the new bride's face.
(naii dulhan ke chehre par sharam saaf jhalak rahii thii।)
वह शरम से घूँघट में मुँह छिपाए बैठी रही।
She sat hiding her face behind the veil out of shyness.
(vah sharam se ghoonghat men munh chhipaae baithii rahii।)
बच्चे मेहमानों के सामने शरम से कुछ बोल ही नहीं पाते।
The children just can't manage to say anything in front of guests out of shyness.
(bachche mehmaanon ke saamne sharam se kuchh bol hii nahiin paate।)
उसकी आँखें शरम से नीची हो गईं।
Her eyes lowered out of shyness.
(uskii aankhen sharam se niichii ho gaiin।)
थोड़ी शरम रखो, इतनी बेबाकी से मत बोलो।
Keep a little modesty, don't speak so boldly.
(thodii sharam rakho, itnii bebaakii se mat bolo।)
अगर उसमें ज़रा भी शरम होती, तो वह बड़ों के सामने ऐसे न बैठती।
If she had even a bit of modesty, she wouldn't sit like this in front of elders.
(agar usmen zaraa bhii sharam hotii, to vah badon ke saamne aise n baithtii।)
पुराने ज़माने में लड़कियों से शरम और नज़ाकत की उम्मीद की जाती थी।
In olden times, girls were expected to have shyness and grace.
(puraane zamaane men ladkiyon se sharam aur nazaakat kii ummiid kii jaatii thii।)
शायद उसकी शरम ही उसकी सबसे बड़ी खूबी हो।
Perhaps her modesty itself is her greatest virtue.
(shaayad uskii sharam hii uskii sabse badii khoobii ho।)
घूँघट हटाते वक़्त उसके गालों पर शरम की लाली छा गई।
As she lifted the veil, a blush of shyness spread across her cheeks.
(ghoonghat hataate vaqt uske gaalon par sharam kii laalii chhaa gaii।)
सास के सामने वह हमेशा शरम से दुपट्टा सिर पर रखती है।
In front of her mother-in-law, she always keeps her scarf on her head out of modesty.
(saas ke saamne vah hameshaa sharam se dupattaa sir par rakhtii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
शरम
(sharam)
(sg.f.oblique):
शरम
(sharam)
(pl.f.direct):
शरमें
(sharmen)
(pl.f.oblique):
शरमों
(sharmon)