Japanese Verbs Sixteen

With Japanese Verbs Sixteen, in the Learn Japanese series, we will look at how to give the idea that something is finished and also that you have done something you regret.

For this we can use the construction ...te shimau.

Again use the "...tte" form with this constrution.

For example, if you wanted to say, "I finished eating breakfast"

To eat = taberu.

This becomes: tabete.

Now add "shimau" :

  tabete shimaimasu.

Plain Form    "te" form       +tte shimau              Kanji/Kana

Kuru              kite           kite shimau                  来てしまう

Suru             shite         shite shimau                  してしまう

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru              mite          mite shimau                 見てしまう

Taberu          tabete       tabete shimau               食べてしまう

Verbs that end in "u:"

Matsu           matte        matte shimau                待ってしまう

Yomu           yonde         yonde shimau               読んでしまう

Modoru        modotte      modotte shimau            戻ってしまう

After the word list are a few examples:

Homework = 宿題　= しゅくだい　plate = お皿　= おさら　to wash = 洗う　= あらう

breakfast =　朝ごはん　= あさごはん

"Shimau" does have a few nuances and one of them is "to finish something, or to put away something. "

It also indicates a completing something.

Let's finish up our homework.

　宿題をしてしまいましょう。

I finished doing the dishes.　

   お皿を洗ってしまいました

I've finished eating breakfast.　

    朝ごはんを食べてしまいました。

It also indicates that you or someone deliberated a lot because of something or that there was something that was unexpected about it.

After the word list are a few examples:

Computer = パソコン　Takasaki(a city) = 高崎　= たかさき　to go = 行く　= いく　Jill = ジル　

that  = その　difficult = 難しい　= むずかしい　

a Japanese test = 日本語試験　= にほんごしけん　to pass = 合格する　= ごうかくする

I bought a computer.

　パソコンを買ってしまいました。

He up and went to Takasaki.　

   彼は高崎に行ってしまいました。

Jill passed that difficult Japanese test.

　ジルはその難しい日本語試験を合格してしまいました。

It also expresses concern about the possibility of something bad happening, or a worried, sad, regretful feeling at finding out that something happened.

After the word list are a few examples:

Shirt(s) = シャツ　to get dirty = 汚れる　= よごれる　bus = バス　

to be late for = 乗り遅れる　= のりおくれる　coffee = コーヒー　

to get cold = 冷める　= さめる

My shirt got dirty!　

   シャツが汚れてしまいました。

We'll miss the bus!

　バスに乗り遅れてしますよ。

My coffee has gotten cold.　

    コーヒーは冷めてしまっています。

Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

Room = 部屋　= へや　to clean = 掃除する　= そうじする　beer = ビール　

saturday = 土曜日　= どようび　by = までに  that = それ　to finish = 済ませる　= すませる

ought to　= べき  Kana = カナ　new = 新しい　= あたらしい　car = 車　くるま　

Mr Suzuki = 鈴木さん　= すずきさん　English = 英語　= えいご　

teacher = 先生　= せんせい　as = として　job = 仕事　= しごと

to look for = 探す　= さがす wallet = 財布　= さいふ　to lose = 無くす　= なくす　

all = 全部　= ぜんぶ　belonging to = の　money = お金　= おかね　

to use = 使う　= つかう　completely = 完全に　= かんぜんに　french = フランスご

to forget =　忘れる　= わすれる　job intereview = 面接試験　めんせつしけん　

to flunk = 落ちる　= おちる

Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Verbs Sixteen is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 10 Japanese phrases.
2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.
   

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