"Estoy embarazada" Does NOT Mean "I'm Embarrassed"

The mistake

“¡Estoy embarazada!” — said to mean “I'm so embarrassed!”

A native English speaker who knows a little Spanish will hear: “I'm pregnant!” This is one of the most classic false friends between Spanish and English — two words that look alike but mean completely different things.

Why it happens

• embarazada: pregnant. Estoy embarazada = “I'm pregnant.”
• embarrassed: avergonzado/a — feeling shame or awkwardness.

They share Latin roots, but their meanings went in opposite directions centuries ago.

The correct phrase

“I'm embarrassed.” — Estoy avergonzado/a.

• I'm so embarrassed! (¡Qué vergüenza!)
• I was embarrassed in front of everyone. (Me dio vergüenza delante de todos.)

More false friends to watch

• actualmente ≠ actually — it means “currently”
• asistir ≠ assist — it means “to attend”
• sensible ≠ sensible — it means “sensitive”

False friends are the fastest way to say the opposite of what you mean — which is exactly why they make good search topics and good lessons.

Pronunciation tip

The stress goes in the middle: em-BARR-assed. Get the stress right and the word is instantly clear.

Say this sentence out loud and get a pronunciation score. You can check your pronunciation free on MunTalk.