Shirimono Logo
Shirimono
Log inSign up
GRAMMAR
〜ずじまい
ended up not doing
Explanation
NOTE

〜ずじまい means ended up not doing — something you intended to do never happened in the end.

忙いそがしくて、彼かれに会あわずじまいだった。
I was busy, so I ended up not meeting him.
NOTE

It carries a tone of regret. The speaker wanted to act but circumstances prevented it, and the chance passed.

読よもうと思おもった本ほんを、結局けっきょく読よまずじまいだ。
The book I meant to read, I ended up never reading after all.
ずじまい often appears with 結局 (kekkyoku, after all) to stress the missed opportunity.
NOTE

Attach ずじまい to a verb negative stem (the ない form without ない). The irregular する becomes せずじまい.

STRUCTURE
Vない
ずじまい
雨あめのせいで、山やまに登のぼらずじまいだった。
Ame no sei de, yama ni noborazujimai datta.
Because of the rain, we ended up not climbing the mountain.
時間じかんがなくて、手紙てがみを書かかずじまいだ。
Jikan ga nakute, tegami o kakazujimai da.
I had no time, so I ended up not writing the letter.
結局けっきょく、彼かれに連絡れんらくせずじまいだった。
Kekkyoku, kare ni renraku sezujimai datta.
In the end, I ended up not contacting him.
昨日きのうは用事ようじが多おおくて、友達ともだちに連絡れんらくしかずじまいだった。
Kinou wa youji ga ookute, tomodachi ni renraku shikazujimai datta.
I had many errands yesterday, and I ended up not contacting my friend.
忙しくて、結局本ほんを読よかずじまいだった。
Isogashikute, kekkyoku hon o yokazujimai datta.
I was busy, and I ended up not reading the book.
あの映画えいがは人気にんきだったのに、見みかずじまいで公開こうかいが終おわってしまった。
Ano eiga wa ninki datta noni, mikazujimai de koukai ga owatte shimatta.
Even though that movie was popular, it finished its theatrical run and I ended up not seeing it.

Practice exercises

1
忙いそがしくて、映画えいがを見みずじまいだった。
I was busy, so I ended up not watching the movie.
Answer
ずじまい
2
結局けっきょく、彼女かのじょに会あわずじまいだ。
In the end, I ended up not meeting her.
Answer
ずじまい
3
雪ゆきで道みちが閉とじ、故郷こきょうへ帰かえらずじまいだった。
The road was closed by snow, so I ended up not returning home.
Answer
らずじまい
4
懸案けんあんの問題もんだいに取とり組くむ機会きかいがなく、結局けっきょく取とり組くまずじまいだった。
There was no opportunity to tackle the pending issue, and in the end I ended up not tackling it.
Answer
取とり組くまずじまい
5
訳わけありで話はなせず、結局けっきょく話はなさずじまいだった。
There were complications, I couldn't bring it up, and in the end I ended up not speaking.
Answer
話はなさずじまい
6
手紙てがみを書かこうと思おもいながら、結局けっきょく書かかずじまいだった。
Although I kept meaning to write a letter, in the end I ended up not writing it.
Answer
書かかずじまい
7
大切たいせつな気持きもちを伝つたえればよかったものを、結局けっきょく伝つたえずじまいだった。
Although I should have conveyed my important feelings, in the end I ended up not conveying them.
Answer
伝つたえずじまい
8
念願ねんがんの場所ばしょだったが、多忙たぼうで訪おとずれずじまいだった。
It was a long-cherished place, but being so busy, I ended up not visiting it.
Answer
訪おとずれずじまい