la honte
the shame / so embarrassing / cringe
Beginner Noun Feminine
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Pronunciation
/la ɔ̃t/
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Cultural Note
While 'honte' just means 'shame,' shouting 'LA HONTE!' is the French equivalent of dying from secondhand embarrassment. It's used as an exclamation when witnessing or experiencing something mortifying. French people have a finely calibrated shame detector — wearing socks with sandals? La honte. Mispronouncing a word in front of a Parisian? LA HONTE. It's also used to shame others: 'Tu devrais avoir honte' (you should be ashamed).
📝 Example Sentences
La honte ! J'ai envoyé le message à la mauvaise personne.
How embarrassing! I sent the message to the wrong person.
Il a dansé devant tout le monde — la honte totale.
He danced in front of everyone — total cringe.