Lesson 41 of 126
The lesson
3.15 ～てしまう — End Up Doing
Overview
Learn ～てしまう, used to express completing something fully or doing something unintentionally. In casual speech this contracts to ～ちゃう / ～じゃう.
Formation
Verb て-form + しまう
| Form | Meaning context |
|---|---|
| ～てしまう | plain present/future |
| ～てしまいます | polite present/future |
| ～てしまった | plain past |
| ～てしまいました | polite past |
Casual contractions (very common in speech):
- ～てしまう → ～ちゃう
- ～でしまう → ～じゃう
- ～てしまった → ～ちゃった
- ～でしまった → ～じゃった
Two main meanings
1. Completion — finishing something fully, often with a sense of "done and gone"
2. Unintentional or regrettable action
The context usually makes clear which meaning is intended. Regret is often implied by tone and situation rather than the form itself.
Casual forms in use
Dialogue
あAきごう：しゅくだい宿題、おわりました終わりましたか。 bBきごう：はい、ぜんぶ全部やってしまいました。
A: Did you finish your homework? B: Yes, I got it all done.
A: I don't have my wallet. B: Did you end up forgetting it somewhere?
That cake was so good, I ended up eating all of it. Sorry, I ended up being late.
New words
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