The basis of ideal interpersonal encounters is that they should run smoothly. All sorts of polite behaviors are therefore used to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts or inconveniences that may lead to embarrassment. Closely related to im/politeness, this feeling is therefore central to social relations. However, the situations associated with it seem to differ from one community to another. The same is true of the linguistic behaviours associated with it. In studies about Japan, while embarrassment has been linked to guilt and/or shame (Benedict; Lebra Sugiyama 1983; Mead 2003; Kaufman 2011; Sakura et al. 1986), the existence of a continuum between embarrassment and shame now seems to be established (Lebra Sugiyama 1983: 194; McNamee 2015: 197), as the word haji refers to both (Lebra Sugiyama ibid.). The same is true in Persian where the term sharmandegi refers to both meanings (shame/embarrassment). The realisation of such a feeling can be linked to speech acts such as: “expressing gratitude, offering goods and services, requesting goods and services, apology, refusal, and accepting offers” (Sharifian and Jamarani 2011: 227). For example, in Persian and Japanese, ritualized expressions are used to express embarrassment. This is a linguistic strategy to achieve a form of politeness (positive or negative). However, it would seem that in French, embarrassment and shame are not as closely linked to the expression of politeness, particularly in the case of shame, which is generally directed towards another person (T'as pas honte?) or a particular situation (Quelle honte! C’est la honte!). In a cross-cultural approach, we will try to understand the cultural conceptualisation (Sharifian 2011) of embarrassment in Persian (sharmandegi), Japanese (haji) and French (embarras) and the place occupied by this feeling in the construction of interpersonal relationships and politeness in these languages. The question will therefore be asked to what extent this term can be linked to entries such as guilt, embarrassment and/or shame? Furthermore, are the behaviors that cause embarrassment comparable from one cultural community to another? Furthermore, which linguistic formulas refer to the expression of embarrassment? Which speech acts do they refer to? Apology? Other acts? References • Benedict, Ruth, 1987, Le chrysanthème et le sabre, Arles, Picquier (1946 1ère éd., The chrysanthemum and the sword) • Kaufman Whitley, 2011, “Understanding Honor: Beyond the Shame/Guilt Dichotomy”, Social Theory and Practice, Vol. 37, n° 4, 557- 573. • Lebra, Takie Sugiyama, 1983, “Shame and Guilt: A Psychocultural View of the Japanese Self”, Ethos, Vol. 11, n°3, 192-¬209. • Lebra, Takie, 2010, “Shame and guilt in Japan”, in LeVine, Robert A. (ed.), Psychological Anthropology: A Reader on Self in Culture, Wiley-Blackwell, 102-111. • McNamee, Gregory, 2015, “Shame vs. Guilt”, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Vol. 91, n° 1, 197. • Mead, Margaret, 2003, Cooperation and Competition Among Primitive Peoples, New Brunswick, Transaction Publishers • Sakuta, Keiichi, Yagi, Kimiko and McKinney Meredith, 1986, “A Reconsideration of the Culture of Shame”, Review of Japanese Culture and Society, Vol. 1, n° 1, 32-39. • Sharifian, Farzad, and Jamarani, Maryam, 2011, “Cultural schemas in intercultural communication: A study of Persian cultural schema of sharmandegi ‘being ashamed’”, Intercultural Pragmatics, Vol. 8, N° 2, 227–51. • Sharifian, Farzad, 2011, Cultural conceptualisations and language: Theoretical framework and applications. Amsterdam/Philadelphia, John Benjamins.