JLPT N4 grammar
〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう — Meaning & Examples
"Ended up doing" — regret or completion. 食べてしまった = ended up eating (oops). Casual: 食べちゃった. One of the most heard patterns in anime.
〜てしまう — "Ended Up Doing / Oh No..."
〜てしまう (てしまいました in polite form) expresses two related feelings:
1. Something happened completely / by accident
2. Regret about what happened
Formation: て-form + しまう
Regret / accident:
財布を忘れてしまった。 = I forgot my wallet (oops!).
ケーキを全部食べてしまった。 = I ended up eating all the cake (I couldn't help it).
遅刻してしまいました。 = I ended up being late (sorry!).
Completed action (neutral/proud):
宿題が全部できてしまった！ = I finished ALL my homework!
もう食べてしまった。 = I already ate it (completely).
The key feeling: しまう adds a sense of "the action went to completion" — either something you regret, or something that just happened despite your intentions.
Casual contractions (super common!):
てしまう → ちゃう
でしまう → じゃう
食べてしまった → 食べちゃった (casual "oops I ate it")
飲んでしまった → 飲んじゃった (oops I drank it)
You'll hear 〜ちゃった constantly in casual speech and anime! 🎌
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 財布を忘れてしまった expresses?
- I plan to forget my wallet
- I found my wallet
- I never forget my wallet
- I regretfully forgot my wallet
Show answer
Answer: I regretfully forgot my wallet
てしまう = completed action with regret/accident. 忘れてしまった = ended up forgetting (oops!).
2. Casual version of てしまった is?
- てした
- てすまった
- ちゃった
- てしまう
Show answer
Answer: ちゃった
てしまう → ちゃう / てしまった → ちゃった in casual speech. 食べちゃった = oops, I ate it.
3. "The ramen looks delicious" uses?
- おいしいみたい
- おいしそうみたい
- おいしいとおもう
- おいしくてしまう
Show answer
Answer: おいしいみたい
みたい for "seems like." おいしいみたい = seems/looks delicious. Casual and very natural for spoken Japanese.
Practise 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう in the free app
This point is part of the “💬 Everyday N4 — Patterns You'll Use All the Time” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N4 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N4 grammar points
From the same lesson: 💬 Everyday N4 — Patterns You'll Use All the Time
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう mean?
"Ended up doing" — regret or completion. 食べてしまった = ended up eating (oops). Casual: 食べちゃった. One of the most heard patterns in anime.
Is 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう on the JLPT N4 test?
〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう is taught in the JLPT N4 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “💬 Everyday N4 — Patterns You'll Use All the Time”), 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 〜てしまう / 〜ちゃう?
Open the “💬 Everyday N4 — Patterns You'll Use All the Time” 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 N4 mock exams, with no ads.