「つい」: When you 'accidentally' do something 😅

In life, there are times when your reason says "Don't!" but your heart and actions don't listen. You're on a diet but 'accidentally' eat the whole cake 🍰, you plan to go to bed early but 'accidentally' binge-watch a series until morning 📱... In these moments, the Japanese have a 'magic word' to describe it: 「つい」 (tsui).

This is an extremely common adverb in daily life, describing an action you do unconsciously, without intention, or simply because you couldn't help yourself.

How does 「つい」 work?

It almost always comes with the V-てしまう (or V-ちゃう) form, which already carries the nuance of 'accidentally' or 'regretfully.' 「つい」 placed before it further emphasizes the unintentionality and uncontrollability of the action.

Structure: つい + Vてしまう / Vちゃう

Everyday "Oops, I did it again" moments

Let's look at some examples to see how natural and useful 「つい」 is:

1. When you accidentally eat 🍩

   ダイエット中なのに、ケーキがおいしそうでつい食べちゃった。 (Daietto-chuu na no ni, keeki ga oishisou de tsui tabechatta.) → I'm on a diet, but the cake looked so good I accidentally ate it.

2. When you accidentally say something 🗣️

   言うつもりはなかったのに、つい本音を言ってしまった。 (Iu tsumori wa nakatta no ni, tsui honne o itte shimatta.) → I didn't mean to say it, but I accidentally blurted out my true feelings.

3. When you accidentally go shopping 💸

   見るだけのつもりだったのに、かわいくてつい買っちゃいました。 (Miru dake no tsumori datta no ni, kawaikute tsui kachaimashita.) → I was just planning to look, but it was so cute I accidentally bought it.

4. When you accidentally stay up late 🦉

   YouTubeを見始めたら止まらなくて、つい夜更かししちゃった。 (YouTube o mi hajimetara tomaranakute, tsui yofukashi shichatta.) → Once I started watching YouTube, I couldn't stop, so I accidentally stayed up late.

The Subtle Point of 「つい」

Why not just say "I ate the cake"?

Because 「つい」 is not just a confession. It's also a gentle 'excuse,' expressing a very human weakness. It implicitly says, "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't help myself at that moment, so please understand!".

That's why 「つい」 makes your confession much more adorable and relatable than a dry statement.

Next time you 'accidentally' do something, try using 「つい」. You'll find yourself speaking much more naturally and 'Japanese'! 😉