"Shy" in Spanish is tímido for a man or boy and tímida for a woman or girl. The plurals are tímidos and tímidas. To tell someone not to hold back, say No seas tímido.
Written by Isabella García, Language Content Manager at WordyUpdated October 4, 2026
Hear "tímido" in real movie scenes
A description and an invitation. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Es un joven maravilloso, muy listo, pero tímido en sociedad.
He's a wonderful young man, very smart, but shy around people.
One on one he'd talk with you for hours, but in front of ten people he goes quiet. Tímido en sociedad describes exactly that kind of shyness.
From Hazme el favor · Spanish audio
No seas tímido, Iván.
Don't be shy, Iván.
Said to someone who holds back and stays quiet until he knows the other person. Speaking to a woman, you'd say tímida.
From The Blacklist · Spanish audio
Tímido and other shy words
Words and phrases for holding back, blushing and feeling awkward.
Spanish
English
Good to know
tímido, tímida
shy
The everyday word for a person who holds back.
vergonzoso, vergonzosa
bashful
For someone who gets embarrassed easily.
reservado, reservada
reserved
Quiet and private, which isn't always the same as shy.
Me da vergüenza.
I'm embarrassed. I feel too shy.
Add what you don't dare to do: Me da vergüenza bailar.
Me da pena.
I'm embarrassed.
The usual form in Mexico. In Spain it means I feel sorry.
Tip: Never use embarazada for embarrassed. It means pregnant.
Grammar: tímido, tímida
Four points to use it right.
Four forms
tímido, tímida, tímidos, tímidas. The ending follows the person: Mi hija es tímida.
Keep the accent mark
The stress is on the first syllable, TEE-mee-doh, so the í always carries its accent.
Un poco softens it
Un poco goes before traits that are a little negative: Es un poco tímido. With a positive word like simpático, use muy.
Don't be shy
To one friend: No seas tímido. To a group: No sean tímidos. Both invite people to join in.
Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Es un poco tímido.
He's a little shy.
Pasen, no sean tímidos.
Come in, don't be shy.
No seas tímido, Iván.
Don't be shy, Iván.
Mi hija es muy tímida.
My daughter is very shy.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗timido
✓tímido
The accent mark shows the stress on the first syllable. Leave it out and the word is misspelled.
✗Es una chica tímido
✓Es una chica tímida
The adjective takes the gender of the person it describes.
✗Estoy embarazada (meaning I'm embarrassed)
✓Me da vergüenza
Embarazada means pregnant, a classic false friend.
✗No eres tímido (meaning don't be shy)
✓No seas tímido
No eres states a fact. To ask someone not to be shy, use seas.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
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How to remember it
Tímido looks like English timid. A timid person and a tímido person both stand at the edge of the party.
Tímido for a male and tímida for a female. The plurals are tímidos and tímidas.
How do you say "don't be shy" in Spanish?
No seas tímido, or no seas tímida to a woman. To a group, say no sean tímidos.
How do you say "I'm shy" in Spanish?
Soy tímido if you're a man and soy tímida if you're a woman.
Does embarazada mean embarrassed?
No. Embarazada means pregnant. For embarrassed, say me da vergüenza or tengo vergüenza.
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