てしまう

• Reading: てしまう
• Romaji: te shimau
• Pronunciation: /te.ɕi.ma.ɯ/

Meaning

To end up doing ~; to finish completely. Expresses completion of an action or an unintended, regrettable result.

Attached to the て-form of verbs. Has two main uses: expressing that an action is completely finished (全部食べてしまった, I ate it all up), or that something happened unintentionally or regrettably (財布を落としてしまった, I accidentally dropped my wallet). In casual speech, contracts to ちゃう/じゃう.

Examples

1. 宿題を全部やってしまいました。 I finished all of my homework.
2. うっかり電車で寝てしまった。 I accidentally fell asleep on the train.
3. 大切な写真を消してしまいました。 I ended up deleting an important photo.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, expressing regret, narration

Tone: regretful

Origin & History

From the verb 仕舞う (shimau, to put away/finish). When combined with the て-form, it extends to mean completion or regrettable outcomes.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal