ちゃう・
ちゃう and じゃう are casual spoken contractions meaning that an action is completed or ends with an unwanted, accidental, or regrettable result. The context decides whether regret is present; the contracted ending itself does not always imply a mistake.
Choosing the right contraction
First make the verb's linking form. If it ends in て, use ちゃう; if it ends in で, use じゃう. You do not choose freely between them, and you do not attach either contraction directly to the dictionary form.
Common casual forms
Swipe sideways to compare every column.
| Form | After te | After de |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpast positive | ちゃう | じゃう |
| Past positive | ちゃった | じゃった |
| Nonpast negative | ちゃわない | じゃわない |
The contracted endings change like godan verbs: the past uses った, and the negative uses わない.
Completion does not always mean regret
A neutral context can simply present an action as fully completed. An apology, accident, loss, or other undesirable situation brings out the unwanted-result reading.
Do not confuse similar contractions
ちゃう and じゃう are shortened versions of てしまう and でしまう; they preserve completion and possible regret. By contrast, とく and どく shorten a different construction and express preparation or leaving something in a certain state. A verb followed by 終わる directly means finishing an activity and does not carry this contraction's possible speaker attitude.
More examples
この漫画、今夜全部読んじゃう。
I'll finish this whole manga tonight.
Analyzeごめん、最後の一個も食べちゃった。
Sorry, I ate the last one too.
Analyzeその仕事、今日中にやっちゃわない？
Why don't we get that job finished today?
Analyze大事なメールを消しちゃわないように気をつけて。
Be careful not to delete the important email.
Analyze昨日は疲れて、電車で寝ちゃった。
I was tired yesterday and fell asleep on the train.
Analyze一人でジュースを全部飲んじゃわないで。
Don't drink all the juice by yourself.
Analyze片づけはもう済んじゃったよ。
The cleanup is already done.
Analyze