〜てしまいがち: 'Tend To End Up Doing' (Meaning + Examples)
A recurring, often regrettable habit
〜てしまいがち describes an action someone tends to end up doing repeatedly, usually something mildly negative or unintended — forgetting, overspending, procrastinating.
やったんは疲れていると、もちへの返信を後回しにしてしまいがちだ。
やったんは つかれていると、もちへの へんしんを あとまわしに してしまいがちだ。
When Yattan is tired, he tends to end up putting off replying to Mochi.
してしまいがち: a recurring slip, not a one-time event.
新人のうちは、細かいミスをしてしまいがちだ。
しんじんの うちは、こまかい ミスを してしまいがちだ。
While you're still new, you tend to end up making small mistakes.
一人暮らしを始めると、外食に頼ってしまいがちになる。
ひとりぐらしを はじめると、がいしょくに たよってしまいがちに なる。
When you start living alone, you tend to end up relying on eating out.
Form: Verb-て + しまいがち
しまいがち attaches after the て-form of a verb, replacing plain てしまう with its "tendency" version.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-form) | Vて + しまいがち | 忘れてしまいがち (tend to end up forgetting) |
| Verb (て-form) | Vて + しまいがち | 食べ過ぎてしまいがち (tend to end up overeating) |
締め切りが近くなると、焦ってしまいがちだ。
しめきりが ちかく なると、あせってしまいがちだ。
As the deadline gets closer, I tend to end up getting anxious.
Softer than plain てしまう, more specific than plain がち
Plain てしまう describes one instance ("I ended up forgetting"). Plain がち alone can attach to almost any verb stem for a general tendency (遅れがち, "tends to be late"). てしまいがち sits between them: it keeps てしまう's emotional color — a mild "shouldn't happen, but it does" — while making it a repeated pattern with がち. Use it when you want to soften criticism of a habit as an understandable, common slip rather than a serious fault.
The short version
- 〜てしまいがち = "tend to end up doing (something), often regrettably."
- Attaches to: the て-form of a verb + しまいがち.
- Nuance/register: neutral, mildly self-deprecating or sympathetic; describes a recurring tendency, not one event.
- Don't confuse with: plain てしまう, which marks a single completed (often regrettable) action without implying a pattern.
Practice it
Choose 〜てしまいがち when the sentence describes a recurring, often unintended tendency.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
忙しいと、つい朝ご飯を抜い＿＿＿。
Where 〜てしまいがち fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- 〜てしまう · N4 — 〜てしまう adds 'finish completely' or 'oops, ended up' to a verb. Learn the て-form formation, the regret nuance, past 〜てしまった, and the casual contractions 〜ちゃう / 〜じゃう.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜てしょうがない — 〜てしょうがない attaches to the て-form to say a feeling is so strong you can't bear it — 我慢できない, unable to endure it. 暑くてしょうがない = 'unbearably hot.' Casual twin of 〜てしかたがない.
- 〜てはいられない — 〜てはいられない says you can't stay passive in a state — danger, worry, or duty makes it impossible to just sit by. 黙ってはいられない = 'I can't stay silent.' Related to the N3 point on time pressure.
- 〜てはならない — 〜てはならない attaches to the て-form of a verb to mean 'must not / should not' — a strong, formal prohibition often tied to rules, morals, or social norms rather than a single speaker's wish.
- 〜てやがる — 〜てやがる attaches to the て-form to mark contempt, anger, or disdain toward someone's action — 'that jerk is doing X.' Rough, masculine, spoken register; never used in polite or formal speech.
- 〜てやまない — 〜てやまない attaches to the て-form of feeling verbs like 願う or 愛する to mean 'never cease to (feel this) / (feel this) from the bottom of my heart.' It marks an emotion that continues without a break.
- 〜と同時に — 〜と同時に attaches to a plain-form verb or noun to mean 'at the same time as / as soon as' — ベルが鳴ると同時に生徒が出た. It links two events happening simultaneously, or one triggering the other instantly.