There’s a Hokkien term that I grew up hearing – the word ‘paiseh’.
In English, it simply means to be embarrassed, sorry or shy and can be used in various situations. For example, when you accidently stepped on someone’s feet, it is absolutely appropriate to say ‘paiseh, paiseh.’ Another reasonable use of this word is when a person doesn’t know how to feel ashamed in a situation where he should, or ‘tak tau malu’ in Malay terms. In this instance, an example will be, ‘ Hey you, don’t you feel paiseh cutting the cue?’.
Paperheart Pieces 