～てしまう
To do something by accident, To finish completely・totally, Unfortunately
Structure
Verb［
(1) じゃう(*)
(*) Used when Verb［て］ends with で
Explanation
Attaching the auxiliary verb しまう (sometimes written with the kanji 終う) to the て-form of a verb allows you to express that an action occurred 'unintentionally', 'thoroughly', or 'with a sense of regret'. While these nuances appear distinct, their shared core meaning will be explored shortly. First, let's examine some sentences using てしまう.
- 大事な約束をうっかり忘れてしまうことがある。I sometimes end up carelessly forgetting important promises.
- この本はとても面白いから、一日で読んでしまうだろう。This book is so interesting, I'll probably read it completely in one day.
- 疲れていると、つい厳しいことを言ってしまう。When I'm tired, I inadvertently end up saying harsh things.
- お気に入りの皿をよく割ってしまう。I often accidentally break my favorite plates.
In conversational Japanese, てしまう and でしまう are frequently contracted into more informal expressions. These are formed as shown below:
てしまう becomes ちゃう
でしまう becomes じゃう
- 急がないと、バスに乗り遅れちゃうよ！If we don't hurry, we're going to miss the bus!
- このジュース、全部飲んじゃうの？Are you going to drink all of this juice?
Fun Fact
Although てしまう is usually written in hiragana, you may encounter the kanji forms て終う or て仕舞う. While there are subtle differences, the core function of しまう is to indicate that an action has reached a point of conclusion that is now irreversible. This 'point of no return' can imply a permanent finality (often with 終う) or a more temporary completion (often with 仕舞う).
Because of this 'irreversible' nuance, しまう often conveys a sense of finality, like sighing, 'Oh no, I've completely forgotten my wallet'. It can express a speaker's frustration that it's now 'too late' to fix something. However, てしまう is not exclusively negative. It can be used positively to express the determination to see something through to the end, carrying the same nuance of bringing an action to a definite conclusion.
- 仕事が増える前に、このタスクを片付けてしまおう！Let's get this task finished before our work piles up!
- 山田さん、会議の時間までに資料のコピーを済ませてしまいましょう。Yamada-san, let's go ahead and finish making copies of the materials before the meeting starts.
Examples
電車の切符を無くしてしまった。
I unfortunately lost my train ticket. (totally)
弟がジュースを全部飲んでしまった。
My little brother drank up all the juice. (drank completely)・(totally)
大事な書類を汚してしまった。
I accidentally got the important documents dirty. (unfortunately・totally)
もっと勉強しないと、試験に落ちてしまうよ。
If you don't study more, you will unfortunately fail the test. (totally)
ごめん！お小遣いをもう全部使ってしまった。
Sorry! I completely used up all my allowance already. (Sorry! I totally used it all up)
旅行中に、風邪を引いてしまった。
I unfortunately caught a cold during my trip. (totally)
あっ、今朝うっかり寝坊してしまった。
Ah, I totally overslept this morning by mistake. (Ah, I totally overslept)
面白いから、今日中にこの本を読んでしまおう。
Since it's so interesting, I'll go ahead and finish (reading) it today. (read completely・totally)
セールだったから、つい高い服を買ってしまった。
Because it was on sale, I ended up buying some expensive clothes. (totally)
週末に部屋を全部掃除してしまおう。
This weekend I am going to completely finish (doing) the cleaning of my room. (totally finish)
そんなことを言ったら、秘密がみんなに知られてしまうよ。
If you say something like that, everyone is totally going to find out the secret. (unfortunately)
映画が長すぎて、途中で寝てしまった。
The movie was too long, so I ended up falling asleep halfway through. (unfortunately)