The patterns ちゃう and じゃう are casual contractions of てしまう that express actions done accidentally, completely, or with a sense of regret. These patterns are everywhere in spoken Japanese, anime, and manga, making them crucial for understanding natural conversation.
ちゃう/じゃう Pattern Structure
intermediate
Formation Rules:
- て/で + しまう → ちゃう/じゃう
- んで + しまう → んじゃう
- いで + しまう → いじゃう
Main Uses:
- Completion - something is completely done
- Regret - something happened unfortunately
- Accident - something happened unintentionally
Formation Patterns
食べてしまう → 食べちゃう
tabete shimau → tabechau
to end up eating → to end up eating (casual)
Word breakdown:
食べてtabeteeating (te-form)verb
しまうshimauend up doingauxiliary verb
食べちゃうtabechauend up eating (casual)contracted form
読んでしまう → 読んじゃう
yonde shimau → yonjau
to end up reading → to end up reading (casual)
Word breakdown:
読んでyondereading (te-form)verb
しまうshimauend up doingauxiliary verb
読んじゃうyonjauend up reading (casual)contracted form
ちゃう Formation (て → ちゃう)
Common ちゃう Contractions
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 食べちゃう | tabechau | end up eating | N3 |
| 忘れちゃう | wasurechau | end up forgetting | N3 |
| やっちゃう | yacchau | end up doing | N3 |
| 言っちゃう | icchau | end up saying | N3 |
4 words
じゃう Formation (で/んで → じゃう)
Common じゃう Contractions
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 死んじゃう | shinjau | end up dying | N3 |
| 読んじゃう | yonjau | end up reading | N3 |
| 遊んじゃう | asonjau | end up playing | N3 |
| 泳いじゃう | oyogijau | end up swimming | N3 |
4 words
Expressing Regret
あー、また寝坊しちゃった。
Aa, mata nebou shichatta.
Ah, I overslept again.
Word breakdown:
あーaaah (regret)interjection
またmataagainadverb
寝坊nebouoversleepingnoun
しちゃったshichattaended up doingverb
宿題、忘れちゃった...
Shukudai, wasurechatta...
I forgot my homework...
Word breakdown:
宿題shukudaihomeworknoun
忘れちゃったwasurechattaended up forgettingverb
Expressing Accidental Actions
ごめん、コップ割っちゃった。
Gomen, koppu wacchatta.
Sorry, I accidentally broke the cup.
Word breakdown:
ごめんgomensorryinterjection
コップkoppucupnoun
割っちゃったwacchattaended up breakingverb
秘密、言っちゃダメだよ。
Himitsu, iccha dame da yo.
You mustn't accidentally tell the secret.
Word breakdown:
秘密himitsusecretnoun
言っちゃicchaend up sayingverb
ダメdameno goodadjective
だよda yoemphasissentence ending
Complete Actions (with nuance)
もう食べちゃった？
Mou tabechatta?
Did you already finish eating?
Word breakdown:
もうmoualreadyadverb
食べちゃったtabechattafinished eatingverb
全部読んじゃった。
Zenbu yonjatta.
I read it all the way through.
Word breakdown:
全部zenbuallnoun
読んじゃったyonjattafinished readingverb
Common Expressions
1. やっちゃった (Oh no, I did it)
やっちゃった、試験の日間違えた。
Yacchatta, shiken no hi machigaeta.
Oh no, I got the exam date wrong.
2. だめじゃん/だめっちゃ (That's no good)
それ食べちゃダメじゃん。
Sore tabecha dame jan.
You shouldn't eat that.
3. しちゃった (Past regret)
怒らせちゃった。
Okorasechatta.
I made them angry.
Practice Exercises
Choose the Correct Form
1 of 4
Convert: 食べてしまう → ?
Emotional Nuances
The ちゃう/じゃう patterns carry different emotional tones:
Regret: "しまった" feeling
- あー、やっちゃった (Ah, I did it...)
Completion: Satisfaction or finality
- 終わっちゃった (It's finished)
Accident: Unintentional actions
- 壊しちゃった (I broke it accidentally)
Irreversibility: Something that can't be undone
- もう遅いちゃった (It's already too late)
Real-World Usage
These patterns appear constantly in:
- Anime/Manga: Character reactions to mistakes
- Daily Conversation: Expressing accidents and regrets
- Social Media: Casual posting about life events
- Text Messages: Quick expression of situations
Common Mistakes to Avoid
-
Wrong formation from いる/える verbs
- ❌ 見てちゃう
- ✅ 見ちゃう
-
Using formal しまう in casual contexts
- Casual: もう食べちゃった
- Formal: もう食べてしまいました
-
Forgetting the regret nuance
- ちゃう/じゃう implies some regret or unexpectedness
Summary
ちゃう and じゃう are essential for natural Japanese:
- Formation: て/で → ちゃう, んで → んじゃう
- Meaning: Accidental, regrettable, or complete actions
- Usage: Very common in casual speech
- Tone: Often carries emotional nuance
Master Japanese Casual Expressions
Practice ちゃう and じゃう with authentic manga and anime dialogue. Learn natural Japanese expressions.
