Some American words simply don’t translate.
To simplify linguistics, some words have too much history, culture, connotation and popularity associated to the word to make a simple word for word substitution.
Self-Conscious:
- a : conscious of one’s own acts or states as belonging to or originating in oneself : aware of oneself as an individual
b : intensely aware of oneself : conscious a rising and self–conscious social class; also : produced or done with such awareness
2. uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others : ill at ease
1. Complexé(e): “hung up”
Someone who is inhibited by their own psychological baggage.
This is the best definition for me, but it’s still not quite it. One time at university in France, I was joking with a professor in office hours that I had social anxiety. Rather than laugh she gave me a serious and somewhat shocked look. Maybe the French just don’t get flustered
2. Gêné(e): “embarassed”
Not quite but close. Embarrassment usually stems from an action. I like this word, however, because it relates to the situation well. un silence gêné is an awkward silence
3. être mal à l’aise : “Not at ease”
This is an interesting expression, it’s more like to be uncomfortable. To be clear, it’s more like something or someone is making you uncomfortable.
4. embarrassé(e) : “annoyed” and “embarassed”
This one is interesting, it’s 1. annoyed and 2. embarassed. To be honest, this one is a little bit of a ‘faux amis’ (doesn’t translate directly) because the meaning is a bit more complex than simply “embarassed” in english.
Like many words in french, english is simply too broad. Once you become more comfortable in French, you can choose a precise word. However, in the meantime you’ll be self-conscious about which word you decide upon.
