に恥じる (Clarification on に)


> 遠坂がマスターとして行動しているのなら、俺もあいつに恥じない成果を出さないと。  
>  If Tohsaka is acting as a master, i have to get results which will not make
> her feel ashamed.
>
> 人に恥じることはなにもない。  
>  People do not feel ashamed for anything.

恥じる: To feel ashamed.  
僕が恥じる: I feel ashamed.  
僕に恥じる: To feel ashamed towards me.

Is it correct?

I always have troubles understanding when に means "In" and when it means
"Towards";"Regarding";"Against".

By In I mean:  
There is something to feel ashamed in laughing at people.

And towards:  
I feel ashamed about that towards her.  
(In my mind this feels something like に対して, but I do not know if it's correct
or not. If not please tell me)

Is it there a way to understand this?




First, there's one use of 「恥じる」 you may have not been acquainted with.

From 広辞苑 under 「恥じる」:

> ③(多く、否定を伴う) **ひけをとる。劣る。** 【(often accompanied by a negative) **compare
> unfavorably with; to be inferior** 】

As hinted at in the dictionary, in this use the word often appears in the
construction 「(~に)恥じない」, which means: "be not inferior to; i.e. **be
comparable with** , **be as good as** , or **measure up to**
someone/something". Thus:

> 「あいつに恥じない成果」 = "results that are as good as hers/his"

but

> 「人に恥じることはなにもない。」= "There's nothing to be ashamed of (towards people)."

Notice in the latter it's 「に恥じる」, not 「に恥じない」, so that should be a good
indicator that it's not used in the sense I mentioned above.

* * *

As for your questions:

> 恥じる: To feel ashamed.  
>  僕が恥じる:I feel ashamed.  
>  僕に恥じる:To feel ashamed towards me.
>
> Is it correct?

Correct.

> Is it there a way to understand this?

I have nothing definitive or even terribly pertinent to say about this, but to
take your examples:

> There is something to feel ashamed in laughing at people. → 人を笑うということ **には**
> 、どこか恥じるべきところがある。(私なりの訳)

In this particular sentence I feel more comfortable with 「には」 instead of just
「に」, but using 「に」 would be perfectly grammatical and understandable. Personal
preference, maybe.

> I feel ashamed about that towards her. → そのことについて、私は彼女 **に** 恥じています。(私なりの訳)

In the "towards" or "against" sense, more often than not 「に」 can be replaced
with 「に対して」without changing the meaning. Here, 「私は彼女 **に対して** 恥じています」 would be
as acceptable and understandable.




First, there's one use of 「恥じる」 you may have not been acquainted with.

From 広辞苑 under 「恥じる」:

> ③(多く、否定を伴う) **ひけをとる。劣る。** 【(often accompanied by a negative) **compare
> unfavorably with; to be inferior** 】

As hinted at in the dictionary, in this use the word often appears in the
construction 「(~に)恥じない」, which means: "be not inferior to; i.e. **be
comparable with** , **be as good as** , or **measure up to**
someone/something". Thus:

> 「あいつに恥じない成果」 = "results that are as good as hers/his"

but

> 「人に恥じることはなにもない。」= "There's nothing to be ashamed of (towards people)."

Notice in the latter it's 「に恥じる」, not 「に恥じない」, so that should be a good
indicator that it's not used in the sense I mentioned above.

* * *

As for your questions:

> 恥じる: To feel ashamed.  
>  僕が恥じる:I feel ashamed.  
>  僕に恥じる:To feel ashamed towards me.
>
> Is it correct?

Correct.

> Is it there a way to understand this?

I have nothing definitive or even terribly pertinent to say about this, but to
take your examples:

> There is something to feel ashamed in laughing at people. → 人を笑うということ **には**
> 、どこか恥じるべきところがある。(私なりの訳)

In this particular sentence I feel more comfortable with 「には」 instead of just
「に」, but using 「に」 would be perfectly grammatical and understandable. Personal
preference, maybe.

> I feel ashamed about that towards her. → そのことについて、私は彼女 **に** 恥じています。(私なりの訳)

In the "towards" or "against" sense, more often than not 「に」 can be replaced
with 「に対して」without changing the meaning. Here, 「私は彼女 **に対して** 恥じています」 would be
as acceptable and understandable.

