JLPT N4 Elementary

ちゃう

Casual suffix indicating completion or regret

Readings

Other forms

じゃう used after certain verbs

ちゃった past tense

じゃった past tense

ちゃおう volitional form

Auxiliary Verb

Doing something completely (or accidentally)

A casual colloquial contraction of てしまう used to indicate that an action was completed fully or performed unintentionally.

Good to know

ちゃう is the casual spoken form of てしまう. Attach it to a verb’s て-form to add a sense of completion, accident, or regret.

Use it in relaxed speech with friends or family. Avoid it in formal writing, business settings, or polite situations. In those cases, use てしまいます instead.

Formation:

If the て-form ends in て, use ちゃう: 食べる（たべる） → 食べて（たべて） → 食べちゃう（たべちゃう）, “end up eating / eat completely”

If the て-form ends in で, use じゃう: 飲む（のむ） → 飲んで（のんで） → 飲んじゃう（のんじゃう）, “end up drinking / drink completely”

Common feelings:

Completion: 全部食べちゃった（ぜんぶたべちゃった）, “ate it all”

Accident or regret: 財布を忘れちゃった（さいふをわすれちゃった）, “ended up forgetting my wallet”

The nuance depends on context. 食べちゃった（たべちゃった） can sound neutral, like “I ate it all,” or regretful, like “Oops, I ate it.”

Example

あ、財布を家に忘れちゃった！

Oh no, I went and left my wallet at home!

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VOCAB 2 / 30

ちゃう

Casual suffix indicating completion or regret

Example

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