捲る
Like crazy, Keep doing (without a second thought), Nothing but, On and on, Do … all around, To do a lot of, One after another, All over, Keep, Everything, Constantly, All the time
Structure
Verb［て］+ Verb［て］+ Verb［stem］(*) + まくる
(*) Verb has to be volitional (can be controlled by the will of a doer)
Explanation
まくる is a grammatical structure that attaches to the conjunctive form of a verb. It emphasizes that an action (A) is performed repeatedly, excessively, or with immense energy. It originates from the う-Verb 捲る, meaning 'to roll up', which lends it the feeling of 'doing (A) over and over'. It is often translated as 'to (A) a ton', 'to do (A) non-stop', or 'to (A) one's heart out'.
As stated above, this grammar point is added to a verb's conjunctive form (ます-stem).
- 夏休みは毎日友達と遊びまくったので、宿題が全然終わっていない。I played like crazy with my friends every day during summer vacation, so I haven't finished my homework at all.
- 面白い小説を見つけて、週末はずっと読みまくってました。I found a fascinating novel and have been reading non-stop all weekend.
- 感動的な映画を見て、一人で泣きまくった。After watching a touching movie, I was all by myself and just cried my eyes out.
This grammar can be used in both positive and negative situations. A common nuance of まくる is that the action is done with complete abandon or recklessness. This suggests that the person performing the action is not considering any potential consequences of their repeated behavior.
Caution
The verb (A) must be volitional, which means it has to be an action that a person can consciously control and choose to repeat.
- 花粉症のせいで、くしゃみが出まくって、仕事に集中できない。I can't concentrate on work because I'm sneezing uncontrollably due to hay fever. (Unnatural Japanese)
Examples
昨日のパーティーでは、朝までお酒を飲みまくった。
At yesterday's party, we drank like crazy until morning.
夏休みは友達と遊びまくりたい。
I want to hang out with my friends as much as possible during summer vacation.
あの映画を見て、感動して泣きまくった。
I was so moved by that movie that I cried my eyes out.
景色がきれいすぎて、写真を撮りまくった。
The scenery was so beautiful that I took photos one after another.
来週から長い休みを取るから、今週は働きまくらないといけない。
I have to work like crazy this week because I'm taking a long vacation starting next week.
カラオケに行って、５時間も歌いまくった。
We went to karaoke and sang our hearts out for five hours.
このマンガにハマって、週末はずっと読みまくっている。
I got hooked on this manga and have been binge-reading it all weekend.
やっとテストが終わったから、この週末は寝まくるぞ。
The exams are finally over, so I'm going to sleep like a log this weekend.
母は心配性で、メッセージを送りまくってくる。
My mom is a worrier, so she constantly sends me messages.
「失敗しまくっても気にするな。そうやって上手になるんだ。」
'Don't worry about failing over and over again. That's how you get better.'
チームがミスばかりするので、コーチが怒りまくっていた。
The coach was furious because the team kept making mistakes.
たなか：「たくさん服を買ったね。」
やまだ：「うん。いろいろ試着しまくって、選べなくて全部買っちゃった。」
Tanaka: 'You bought a lot of clothes.'
Yamada: 'Yeah. I tried on a ton of outfits, and since I couldn't decide, I ended up buying them all.'