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JLPT N4

〜てしまう

End up doing / finish completely (often with regret)

Structure

Verb て-form + しまう (casual contraction: て-form + ちゃう, で-form + じゃう)

Attaches to the て-form of a verb to show that an action is completed entirely. It very often carries a nuance of regret, surprise, or an unintentional/uncontrollable result ('end up doing'), but it can also simply emphasize that something is finished completely, with no negative feeling at all.

Examples

  • 大切な本をなくしてしまいました。

    たいせつなほんをなくしてしまいました。

    I ended up losing my important book.

  • 電車の中で財布を落としてしまった。

    でんしゃのなかでさいふをおとしてしまった。

    I dropped my wallet on the train, much to my dismay.

  • このレポートを今日中に書いてしまいます。

    このレポートをきょうじゅうにかいてしまいます。

    I will finish writing this report by the end of today.

  • 大事な用事を忘れてしまわないように、メモしておきます。

    だいじなようじをわすれてしまわないように、メモしておきます。

    I'll make a note so that I don't end up forgetting the important errand.

  • え、もう食べてしまったの？

    え、もうたべてしまったの？

    What, you already finished eating it?!

  • 全部終わってしまいましたか。

    ぜんぶおわってしまいましたか。

    Did everything end up finishing already?

  • うっかり秘密を言っちゃった。

    うっかりひみつをいっちゃった。

    I accidentally let the secret slip out.

  • 気をつけないと、また同じ失敗をしてしまいますよ。

    きをつけないと、またおなじしっぱいをしてしまいますよ。

    If you're not careful, you'll end up making the same mistake again.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming てしまう is always negative or regretful — while it very often carries regret, it can also simply emphasize that an action is completely finished with no negative feeling at all, e.g. 宿題は全部やってしまいました can mean 'I finished all my homework' with relief; the nuance must be judged from context, not assumed automatically.
  • Confusing the independent verb しまう ('to put away / store') with the auxiliary 〜てしまう attached after another verb's て-form — these are different usages; the auxiliary must attach to the て-form of the main action verb (e.g. 財布を落としてしまった), not stand alone as if しまう itself were the main action being described.
  • Forgetting that the casual contractions follow the て/で-form voicing rule: verbs whose て-form ends in で use じゃう, not ちゃう, so 飲んでしまう becomes 飲んじゃう (not 飲んちゃう) and 死んでしまう becomes 死んじゃう (not 死んちゃう).

How it's different from similar grammar

  • 〜ておく (do in advance / leave in a state for later benefit)

    ておく expresses doing something in advance, in preparation for the future, with a purposeful, forward-looking nuance: 旅行の前に荷物を準備しておきます (I'll pack my luggage in advance before the trip). てしまう expresses that an action is completed entirely, often about something that has already happened, with a nuance of regret or an unintended result: 準備しないで、旅行に行ってしまいました (I went on the trip without preparing, and I regret it) — the focus is on the completed, often unwanted result, not on preparing ahead of time.

How this shows up on the JLPT

N4 grammar sections frequently test てしまう by having students distinguish it from plain past tense or from ておく in sentences implying regret, surprise, or an accidental/uncontrollable outcome; listening sections often use the casual contractions ちゃう/じゃう in natural conversation, so recognizing them quickly is also tested.

Quick check (3 questions)

  • 1. Choose the word that correctly fills the blank so the sentence means 'After I completely finished my homework, I watched TV' (a time sequence, not a reason): 宿題を＿＿から、テレビを見た。

    しゅくだいを＿＿から、テレビをみた。

  • 2. Which sentence best expresses 'I accidentally ate all the cake (and I feel bad about it)'?

  • 3. Which casual contracted form correctly corresponds to 死んでしまう ('end up dying')?

    しんでしまう

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