Thread: смутиться = ?

I've seen this translated as either "embarrassed" or "confused." To me these are very different things so what is the usual meaning or sense of this word.

How are these two things different? They are about the same.

confuse = to make embarrassed
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/confused

Originally Posted by MasterAdmin

How are these two things different? They are about the same.

confuse = to make embarrassed
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/confused

well, all I can say is that the dictionary is wrong
embarrassed means shy or self conscious, or if you feel stupid for having done something.
confused means your mind is not clear about something.
These words are not interchangeable.

Originally Posted by sperk

...These words are not interchangeable.

If you are confused you can sometimes feel embarrassed.
За столом все стали его расхваливать, а он от неожиданности смутился и покраснел.

Sperk is right. These two words, in English, are unrelated.

Originally Posted by DDT

Sperk is right. These two words, in English, are unrelated.

There is a word in Russian - конфуз (discomfiture, embarassed position)
There is also a related word in Russian конфузия (approx. the same, but obsolete)

I think the misunderstanding comes out of this fact.
In Russian these two concepts are related (this is the way a Russian thinks). Here's the Lingvo entry:

смущаться

несовер. - смущаться; совер. - смутиться

общ.-возвр.

be embarrassed, be confused, be put out of countenance, be perplexed

I think I'll add to this "to be in puzzlement"

There is a difference - you can fart in public and be embarassed (ashamed of yourself), but you can encounter something difficult or extraordinary and be in astonishment, puzzlement or confused.
In Russian, both of these situations can be described as смущение.
It's just the way it is, I think.

Originally Posted by sperk

I've seen this translated as either "embarrassed" or "confused." To me these are very different things so what is the usual meaning or sense of this word.

I'd most probably use 'embarrassed' to translate смутиться. But again, so much depends on context.

Lisa:
Look on the bright side, Dad. Did you know that the Chinese use the same word for 'crisis' as they do for 'opportunity'?

Homer:
Yes! Cris-atunity.

Originally Posted by scotcher

Lisa:
Look on the bright side, Dad. Did you know that the Chinese use the same word for 'crisis' as they do for 'opportunity'?

Homer:
Yes! Cris-atunity.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Originally Posted by DDT

Sperk is right. These two words, in English, are unrelated.

There is a word in Russian - конфуз (discomfiture, embarassed position)
There is also a related word in Russian конфузия (approx. the same, but obsolete)

I think the misunderstanding comes out of this fact.
In Russian these two concepts are related (this is the way a Russian thinks). Here's the Lingvo entry:

смущаться

несовер. - смущаться; совер. - смутиться

общ.-возвр.

be embarrassed, be confused, be put out of countenance, be perplexed

I think I'll add to this "to be in puzzlement"

There is a difference - you can fart in public and be embarassed (ashamed of yourself), but you can encounter something difficult or extraordinary and be in astonishment, puzzlement or confused.
In Russian, both of these situations can be described as смущение.
It's just the way it is, I think.

Not be embarassed but be embarrassed, with two r
And, not "I think I'll add to this "to be in puzzlement" but to be puzzled