Is there a word for this in English?

[Venom]

There is a term from my language (Hmaikhah si lo) that loosely means you are "unworthy" of any privileges, say, in someone house, BECAUSE it's their house and you don't want to be rude or excessively too comfy.

Ex. A sick person is brought in and taken care of in a stranger's home. Days later, he recovers, receives new clothing from the homeowners, etc. He insists they do not provide for him anymore because he feels overprivileged. He doesn't want to burden them. He's too thankful and "unworthy" as such.

Is there a term for this?

 

[Beelzebuddy]

A phrase, actually. "I don't want to impose" is what you want almost exactly. The only difference maybe is that it's sometimes used by people who do, in fact, want to impose, but don't want to appear that way.

Maybe "thank you, but you've already done more than enough" would work too, especially to turn down additional favors.

 

[arthwollipot]

Visitors are like fish. They start to smell after a week.

 

[Piscivore]

Visitors are like fish. They start to smell after a week.

Well, sure- if you don't eat them right away.

 

[Brian-M]

The closest single word I can think of is interloper, meaning: One who interferes, intrudes or gets involved where not welcome.

ETA: But that doesn't really match your example. In English, someone might say: I don't want to impose on your hospitality.

But Beelzebuddy already suggested that.

 

[Brainache]

It might be to "wear-out the welcome mat" if you think you have over-stretched your host's hospitality.

 

[This is The End]

Isn't "unworthy" close enough?

Do I understand the OP correctly that there are no negative connotations associated with the phrase, like there are with "unworthy" or "unwelcome".

Also, I googled:

"Hmaikhah si lo"

..and the only result I get is this thread. Is it spelled correctly? What do those 3 words translate to if you use an online translator?

 

[alfaniner]

"Minnesotan."

 

[angrysoba]

There is a term from my language (Hmaikhah si lo) that loosely means you are "unworthy" of any privileges, say, in someone house, BECAUSE it's their house and you don't want to be rude or excessively too comfy.

Ex. A sick person is brought in and taken care of in a stranger's home. Days later, he recovers, receives new clothing from the homeowners, etc. He insists they do not provide for him anymore because he feels overprivileged. He doesn't want to burden them. He's too thankful and "unworthy" as such.

Is there a term for this?

A phrase, actually. "I don't want to impose" is what you want almost exactly. The only difference maybe is that it's sometimes used by people who do, in fact, want to impose, but don't want to appear that way.

Maybe "thank you, but you've already done more than enough" would work too, especially to turn down additional favors.

Yes, my first thought was the word "imposition" fits this as in "I hope it is no imposition", although Beelzebuddy's "I don't want to impose" sounds more natural.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imposition

Indeed the word means burden and apparently comes from excessive taxes.

 

[Venom]

Isn't "unworthy" close enough?

Do I understand the OP correctly that there are no negative connotations associated with the phrase, like there are with "unworthy" or "unwelcome".

Also, I googled:

"Hmaikhah si lo"

..and the only result I get is this thread. Is it spelled correctly? What do those 3 words translate to if you use an online translator?

Yes, there really isn't any negative connotation with it.

I also Googled "Hmaikhah si lo" and the third link, titled "Biaknak-Hmurka," uses "Hmaikhah" in a different context, but that only shows the versatility of the phrase in my language.

Here is how it's used in that particular link:

"....a si lo ah Pathian nih nu le pa thleidang lo te i a kan dawt hi aa fian caah maw a si hnga? Siloah mipi hmaikhah lo ruangah maw a si hnga ni zan cu thawngtha ka chim dih tiang a thu i kaa lawm ngai."

"....if not, did he come to church because he was aware that it no longer discriminated between men and women? Or perhaps it was because he saw everyone who worked hard to get there and didn't think himself worthy of leaving; either way, I was glad he listened to the sermon 'til the very end."

Emphasis there in yellow.

Thanks to all the suggestions of "impose," since it seems the closest to the situation at hand. In particular, Brian-M's "I don't want to impose on your hospitality" just about hits the nail I think.

 

[scratchy]

I propose undeserving. "I feel undeserving of this hospitality".

 

[angrysoba]

I don't wish to impose but what language is this? Thai? Burmese? Karen?

 

[Venom]

I don't wish to impose but what language is this? Thai? Burmese? Karen?

Chin-language, an ethnic language in Burma. Most Chin people also speak Burmese, but what little Burmese I ever knew has been completely replaced by English.

 

[rjh01]

Here is the Wikipedia on Hakha-Chin_language^WP

Hakha Chin (Baungshe, Lai) is a language spoken in southern Asia by 446,264 people.[1] The total figure includes 2,000 Zokhua, and 60,100 Lai speakers.[1] The speakers are largely concentrated in eastern India in addition to Burma with a small amount of speakers in Bangladesh in South Asia and northwestern Southeast Asian region.[1]

The source for the quote is here http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=cnh.

 

[Resume]

In-Laws.

 

[Morrigan]

Overstaying your welcome?

 

[GlennB]

I propose undeserving. "I feel undeserving of this hospitality".

I was about to say this. It's a little old-fashioned but seems pitched about the same as expression in the o/p.

 

[Spindrift]

In-Laws.

This ^^^

My sister-in-law came to stay for a 'few weeks'. Three years later she was still there. My wife literally had to find her a husband to get rid of her.