しまう

し

ま

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 200

しまう · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	しまう	しまわない
Polite	しまいます	しまいません
Past polite	しまいました	しまいませんでした
Past	しまった	しまわなかった
Te-form	しまって	しまわないで
Desire	しまいたい	しまいたくない
Potential	しまえる	しまえない
Passive	しまわれる	しまわれない
Causative	しまわせる	しまわせない
Causative passive	しまわせられるalso しまわされる	しまわせられないalso しまわされない
Volitional	しまおう
Polite volitional	しまいましょう
Imperative	しまえ	しまうな
Conditional	しまえば	しまわなければ
Tara conditional	しまったら	しまわなかったら

Meanings

1

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

finish; end; stop

usually written using kana alone

General term for completing or stopping an action or state. Often used in daily conversation.

宿しゅく題だいを早はやくしまいなさい。
Finish your homework quickly.
もう遅おそいから、今日きょうの仕し事ごとはしまおう。
It's already late, so let's stop work for today.

2

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

close down; shut down

usually written using kana alone

Specifically for closing a business, shop, or operation permanently or for the day.

あの店みせは先せん月げつ店みせをしまった。
That shop closed down last month.
今日きょうはもう店みせをしまう時じ間かんです。
It's time to close the shop for today.

3

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

put away; store

usually written using kana alone

Used for tidying up objects, returning them to their proper place, or storing them.

使つかったおもちゃは箱はこにしまってください。
Please put the used toys away in the box.
冬ふゆ物ものの服ふくをクローゼットにしまった。
I stored the winter clothes in the closet.

4

auxiliary verb, godan verb (-u)

do completely; finish doing

usually written using kana alone

Auxiliary verb attached to the -te form of a verb, indicating completion of an action, often with a sense of thoroughness or finality.

この本ほんはもう読よんでしまった。
I have already finished reading this book.
宿しゅく題だいを全ぜん部ぶやってしまいました。
I have completely finished all my homework.

5

auxiliary verb, godan verb (-u)

end up doing; do accidentally

usually written using kana alone

Auxiliary verb attached to the -te form, expressing that an action happened unintentionally, regrettably, or inevitably.

電でん車しゃに傘かさを忘わすれてしまった。
I accidentally left my umbrella on the train.
つい食たべ過すぎてしまった。
I ended up eating too much.

See all 6,173 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を〈場ば所しょ〉にしまうto put an object away in a place
本ほんを本ほん棚だなにしまった。
I put the book away on the bookshelf.
〈場ば所しょ〉をしまうto close down a shop or business
その店みせは先せん月げつしまった。
That shop closed down last month.
〈動どう詞し〉てしまうto finish doing something completely
宿しゅく題だいを全ぜん部ぶやってしまった。
I finished all my homework.

Grammar

てしまう・ちゃうfinish it all; end up doingN4

Kanji

仕attend, doing, official
舞dance, flit, circle
了complete, finish
終end, finish
蔵storehouse, hide, own

Related words

終おわるN5sense 1
終わる is intransitive 'to end by itself', while 仕舞う is transitive and implies someone deliberately brings something to a close.
片かた付づけるN4sense 3
片付ける focuses on tidying or organizing a space, while 仕舞う emphasizes returning an object to its proper storage place.
閉しめるN5sense 2
閉める is the general verb for closing something (a door, a shop for the day), while 仕舞う often implies closing a business permanently or for good.
収おさめるN3
収める is a slightly formal verb for putting something into its proper place, while しまう is the everyday word for putting things away, especially after use.

Opposites

出だすN5sense 3
出す means to take something out, the opposite of 仕舞う's sense of putting something away.
開あけるN5sense 2
開ける means to open (a shop or business), the opposite of 仕舞う used for shutting down an operation.
始はじめるN5sense 1
始める means to start or begin an action, the opposite of 仕舞う's sense of finishing or ending it.
取とり出だすN3
しまう means to put something away or store it, the opposite action of 取り出す, which means to take something out.

Don't confuse with

閉しまるN5sense 2
閉まる sounds and looks almost identical to 仕舞う but is intransitive, meaning 'to close/be closed' rather than 'to close down' or 'put away'.
まう
仕舞う is the standard verb meaning 'to finish/put away' that historically grammaticalized into 〜てしまう, while まう is the Osaka-ben auxiliary contraction of that same 〜てしまう pattern, not the verb itself.
仕し舞まいN3
仕舞う is the verb meaning 'to put away/finish (something)', while 仕舞い is the noun form referring to the end or conclusion itself.

Word family· 8

おしまいN1
the end; closing; being done for · that's it; that's enough; that's all
仕し舞まいN3
end; close; finish · Noh dance in plain clothes
手て仕じ舞まい
liquidation; closing out a position; settlement of accounts
手て仕じ舞まう
close a position; liquidate a position
早はや仕じ舞まい
early closing; finishing early

Show 3 more

雨あま仕じ舞まい
waterproofing; flashing; weathering
どんじまい
tail end; last person; dead last
節せっ季き仕じ舞まい
end-of-year settling of accounts

Written forms

しまうUsage100%
Kana spelling is standard; kanji forms are rare and not recommended for general use.
仕し舞まうUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; may appear in older texts or formal contexts.
了しまうUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; may appear in older texts.
終しまうUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; may appear in older texts.
蔵しまうUsage0%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; may appear in older texts.

Etymology

Originally from the verb 仕舞う (しまう), meaning 'to finish' or 'to put away'. The auxiliary uses developed from the sense of completing an action thoroughly, and later extended to unintended or regrettable outcomes.