1.
unintentionally, despite oneself, carelessly
Doing something without meaning to, often against one's better judgment. Implies the action happens naturally or out of habit, and the speaker often feels mild regret about it.
ついつい食べすぎた。
I unintentionally ate too much.
Usage: Stronger emphasis than つい alone. The repetition adds a sense of it happening repeatedly or being hard to resist. Almost always followed by てしまう or a past tense, as the speaker realizes the action was unintended.
Similar words
- つい: "unintentionally" (single occurrence)
- うっかり: "carelessly, absent-mindedly" (due to inattention)
Related Words
Compare:
うっかり ("carelessly, absent-mindedly")