JLPT N2Spoken and writtenRegret

ずじまいだnever got around to; never did

You meant to do something, or had the chance, and the trip, the year or the job ended first. Now it is too late, and you are a little sorry.

京きょう都とに一いっ週しゅう間かん滞たい在ざいしたが、金きん閣かく寺じには行いかずじまいだった。

I spent a week in Kyoto, but I never did get to Kinkakuji.

How to form it

Verb ない-form: ない → ずじまいだ　　する → せずじまいだ

行いかない → 行いかずじまい, 見みない → 見みずじまい. It works like a noun: mostly ずじまいだった, also ずじまいで and ずじまいになる.

Before it: Something you meant to do or could have done: 行いく, 会あう, 見みる, 読よむ, 聞きく, 言いう. With a potential form or 分わかる, something you never managed: 会あえずじまい, 分わからずじまい.
After it: Usually だった, looking back, often with 結けっ局きょく earlier in the sentence.
Tone: Regret, usually mild: a pity, and too late now.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, essays, blogs and stories. Not stiff.

In use

退たい職しょく前まえに部ぶ長ちょうへお礼れいをするつもりだったが、忙いそがしくてせずじまいだった。

I meant to thank the department head before I left the company, but I was busy and never did.

する becomes せず.

結けっ局きょく、彼かれがなぜ怒おこったのかは分わからずじまいだった。

In the end, I never found out why he got angry.

出しゅっ張ちょう中ちゅうは忙いそがしくて、友ゆう人じんには会あえずじまいだった。

I was busy the whole business trip and never managed to see my friend.

A potential form: you wanted to and couldn't.

このままでは、旅りょ行こう中ちゅうに一いち度ども海うみを見みずじまいになりそうだ。

At this rate, it looks like we'll go the whole trip without seeing the sea once.

Not over yet, so になりそうだ.

Not just "didn't"

A plain negative is a fact, and it may have been your choice. ずじまい says the chance came and went.

その映えい画がは見みなかった。

I didn't see that film.

A fact. Perhaps you didn't want to.

その映えい画がは見みずじまいだった。

I never got around to seeing that film.

You meant to, and it left the theaters first.

Close neighbours

ないままN4

Something else happens while the thing is still not done. A plain fact, with no "in the end" in it.

朝あさご飯はんを食たべないまま、学がっ校こうへ行いった。

I went to school without eating breakfast.

ずにN3

The same ず as "without doing". It leads into what you did, where ずじまい ends the story.

彼かれは確かく認にんせずに契けい約やく書しょに署しょ名めいした。

He signed the contract without checking it.

結けっ局きょくN3

"In the end": an adverb for how things turned out, often not as you hoped. A good ending fits it too.

行いくかどうか迷まよったけど、結けっ局きょく行いかなかった。

I couldn't decide whether to go, and in the end I didn't.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

忙いそがしくて、今年ことしは大おお掃そう除じを（　　）じまいだった。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does this tell you?

結けっ局きょく、祖そ父ふには会あわずじまいだった。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

じまい is しまい, "the end", as in おしまい.

More sentences

休きゅう暇か中ちゅうにその小しょう説せつを読よもうと思おもっていたが、結けっ局きょく読よまずじまいだった。

I meant to read that novel over the holidays, but in the end I never did.

留りゅう学がく中ちゅうに富ふ士じ山さんを見みたかったが、天てん候こうに恵めぐまれず、見みずじまいだった。

I wanted to see Mount Fuji while I was studying abroad, but the weather was never on my side, and I never did.

何なん度どもメールを書かきかけたが、帰き国こくの日ひまで送おくらずじまいだった。

I started writing the email several times, but I never sent it before the day I went home.

買かったワインは記き念ねん日びに開あけるつもりだったが、結けっ局きょく開あけずじまいだった。

I bought the wine to open on our anniversary, but in the end I never opened it.

会かい議ぎでは質しつ問もんするつもりだったが、終しゅう了りょう時じ間かんになり、結けっ局きょく何なにも聞きかずじまいだった。

I had meant to ask a question at the meeting, but time ran out, and in the end I asked nothing.

このまま忙いそがしい日ひが続つづけば、今年ことしも健けん康こう診しん断だんを受うけずじまいになりそうだ。

If I stay this busy, it looks like I'll end up missing my health checkup again this year.