To express being ashamed in French, we can use the expression avoir honte de.
How to use 'avoir honte de' in French
Look at these examples:
Note that the French expression uses avoir (literally "to have shame of"), whereas in English we say to be ashamed.
- Avoir honte de [quelque chose/quelqu'un] = To be ashamed of [something/someone]
Note that de + le, la, l', les (= of the) follows the contraction rule of de: du, de la, de l', des.
- Avoir honte de [faire quelque chose] = To be ashamed of [doing something]
Note that avoir honte de is followed by the infinitive of the verb, unlike -ing in English.
- Avoir honte de [moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles] = To be ashamed of [me, you, him, her, us, you, them]
See also Moi/toi/lui/elle/soi/nous/vous/eux/elles - advanced usages (French Stress Pronouns)
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »