Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Describes an action performed unintentionally, involuntarily, or against one’s will or better judgment.
🎯 Primary Function
To express that an action was done impulsively, habitually, or accidentally, often resulting in a negative outcome or regret.
📋 Grammar Structure
つい + Verb (usually in the past tense or ~てしまう/～てしまういます form)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used, but often in a slightly apologetic or confessional tone, depending on the context and accompanying grammar/vocabulary.
Informal Situations
Very common in daily conversation to describe minor lapses in judgment or accidental actions.
Written Language
Appears in written narratives, essays, or even formal reports when explaining an unintended outcome.
Spoken Language
Frequently used in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Breaking a rule or habit
Used when someone fails to resist an urge or habit they were trying to break.
Example: ダイエット中なのに、ついケーキを食べてしまいました。
(Daiettochuu nanoni, tsui keeki o tabete shimaimashita.)
Even though I’m on a diet, I ended up eating cake (I couldn’t help myself).
Saying something you shouldn’t have
Used when someone says something thoughtlessly or impulsively that they regret.
Example: 彼はつい本音を言ってしまい、後で後悔しました。
(Kare wa tsui honne o itte shimai, ato de koukai shimashita.)
He unintentionally spoke his true feelings and regretted it later.
Acting impulsively
Used when someone does something on impulse without thinking it through.
Example: お店で可愛いものを見つけると、つい買ってしまいます。
(Omise de kawaii mono o mitsukeru to, tsui katte shimaimasu.)
When I find something cute at the store, I end up buying it (I can’t resist).
Frequency
Common in everyday conversation and writing.
Difficulty
N3
Example Sentences
夜更かしは体に悪いと分かっているけど、つい夜遅くまで起きてしまう。
(Yofukashi wa karada ni warui to wakatte iru kedo, tsui yoru osoku made okite shimau.)
I know staying up late is bad for my health, but I always end up staying up late (unintentionally/can’t help it).
忙しくて返事を忘れることが多いですが、昨日はついすぐにメールを返信しました。
(Isogashikute henji o wasureru koto ga ooi desu ga, kinou wa tsui sugu ni meeru o henshin shimashita.)
I often forget to reply because I’m busy, but yesterday I replied to the email right away (without thinking).
子供の前で悪い言葉を使ってはいけないのに、つい使ってしまった。
(Kodomo no mae de warui kotoba o tsukatte wa ikenai noni, tsui tsukatte shimatta.)
Even though I shouldn’t use bad words in front of children, I accidentally used one.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Often used with てしまう (~te shimau)
Using つい with てしまう emphasizes the sense of regret, completion of the action, or doing something undesirable.
Example: つい寝てしまいました (Tsui nete shimaimashita) – I accidentally fell asleep (and regret it or it caused a problem).
Implies lack of conscious control
The core meaning is performing an action due to habit, impulse, or carelessness, without strong conscious intent to do so.
Example: つい余計な一言を言ってしまった (Tsui yokei na hitokoto o itte shimatta) – I ended up saying one extra word (that was unnecessary/regrettable).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using つい for clearly intentional actions
✅ Do not use つい if the action was planned or fully intentional.
つい indicates a lack of control or accidental nature. If you intentionally decided to eat cake, you wouldn’t use つい.
❌ Using つい for events outside personal action
✅ つい modifies the subject’s own action, not external events.
You cannot use つい to describe something that happened *to* you if it wasn’t a direct result of your own impulsive/unintentional action.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to slightly informal. The politeness level is determined by the verb form and sentence ending used with つい.
Social Situations: Frequently used when confessing a minor mistake, explaining why something happened against a rule, or describing a common human weakness.
Regional Variations: Usage is generally standard across regions.
🔍 Subtle Differences
つい vs. うっかり (ukkari)
つい emphasizes acting on impulse or habit despite knowing one shouldn’t or trying not to. うっかり emphasizes acting due to carelessness, absentmindedness, or a simple oversight.
When to use: Use つい when you couldn’t resist the urge or habit. Use うっかり when you made a mistake due to lack of attention (e.g., forgetting something, making a typo).
つい vs. 思わず (omowazu)
つい implies a continuous struggle against an urge or a habitual action. 思わず implies a sudden, often physical, reaction that happens without conscious thought.
When to use: Use つい for ongoing habits or impulses. Use 思わず for sudden, reflexive actions like laughing, crying, or shouting unexpectedly.
undefined
undefined
When to use: undefined
📝 Conjugation Notes
つい is an adverb and does not conjugate itself. It modifies the following verb.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced “tsu-i”. The “tsu” sound is like the “ts” in “cats”.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of “つい” as describing something you did “just” (つい) without thinking, or something you did “despite yourself”.
Practice Exercises
テスト前なのに、テレビを（ ）見てしまった。
わざと
なかなか
つい
きっと
彼の怒った顔を見て、（ ）何も言えなくなった。
きっと
つい
よく
まだ
5 Views
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.