JLPT N1 grammar
〜ずじまい — Meaning & Examples
"Ended up never doing X" — quiet regret that an intended action never happened. 結局、彼とは話せずじまいだった.
〜ずじまい — "Ended Up Never Doing X"
ずじまい expresses regret that something you intended or hoped to do never actually happened — it just... never got done, and now it's too late.
Pattern: [verb ない-form, drop ない] + ずじまい（する → せずじまい）
結局、彼とは話せずじまいだった。
= In the end, I never got to talk to him.
旅行の計画を立てたが、忙しくて行けずじまいだった。
= I made travel plans, but I was too busy and never ended up going.
お礼を言いたかったのに、言えずじまいで別れてしまった。
= I wanted to say thank you, but we parted ways without me ever saying it.
Key feeling: A small, lingering regret — the opportunity quietly closed, and the thing you meant to do simply never happened.
Quick recap of this final lesson:
・まじき = should never do (unforgivable) ⚖️
・べく／べからず = in order to... / must not (formal, old-style) 🏛️
・んがため(に) = in order to (desperate, all-in) 🔥
・ずじまい = ended up never doing X (quiet regret) 😔
🎊🗻 With this, you've completed all 13 N1 Grammar lessons — 52 advanced patterns spanning timing, extremes, emphasis, compulsion, concession, universality, limits, manner, turning points, absence, tendency, extent, and duty. 本当に、本当にお疲れ様でした！You now command a genuinely native-level grammatical range, from casual nuance to the most formal, literary Japanese there is.
Practice questions
Try this question on 〜ずじまい. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 「結局、彼とは話せずじまいだった。」 means?
- We talked for a long time
- He talked to everyone but me
- In the end, I never got to talk to him
- We are still talking now
Show answer
Answer: In the end, I never got to talk to him
ずじまい = ended up never doing X — a quiet regret that an intended action never happened.
Practise 〜ずじまい in the free app
This point is part of the “Duty, Purpose & Left Undone — まじき・べく(べからず)・んがため(に)・ずじまい” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N1 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N1 grammar points
From the same lesson: Duty, Purpose & Left Undone — まじき・べく(べからず)・んがため(に)・ずじまい
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜ずじまい mean?
"Ended up never doing X" — quiet regret that an intended action never happened. 結局、彼とは話せずじまいだった.
Is 〜ずじまい on the JLPT N1 test?
〜ずじまい is taught in the JLPT N1 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Duty, Purpose & Left Undone — まじき・べく(べからず)・んがため(に)・ずじまい”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜ずじまい?
Open the “Duty, Purpose & Left Undone — まじき・べく(べからず)・んがため(に)・ずじまい” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N1 mock exams, with no ads.