December 24, 2014　=========
☆ shy　内気な
============================
In English, often the words “shy” and “introverted” are used like they mean the same thing. So I was wondering about the Japanese translation of this word, but when I checked ALC’s online dictionary for the definition of “内気な” the word introverted was not in the list of possibilities. There were words like bashful, shy, timid, and even chicken-livered!
But no “introverted”. That’s interesting! I wonder why native speakers use the words “shy” and “introverted” to mean the same thing. So, I checked my English dictionary, and it says this: “Shy” describes a person who is nervous and uncomfortable when with other people. “Introverted” describes a person who is quiet and shy and finds it difficult to talk to other people!
Well, that explains why native speakers mix up these two words! In fact, someone who is “introverted” just likes “alone time” in order to recharge and refresh. They are not necessarily a shy person – in fact, often introverts are very friendly! For example at a party an introverted person might speak only to one or two people all night, but they will speak deeply with those people. An extrovert might speak to a lot of people but only on a superficial level. And on the other hand, a shy person might not speak to anyone unless they have no choice!
I rarely recommend English-Japanese dictionaries, but this might be a word where it’s better to check your English-Japanese dictionary instead of an English-English dictionary!!
Bye,
Chris