ついうっかり
ついうっかり
adverb
carelessly; absentmindedly; without thinking
1.
carelessly; absentmindedly; inadvertently
Describes doing something without meaning to, due to a momentary lapse in attention. Combines つい (unintentionally) with うっかり (carelessly) to emphasize the accidental nature of the action.
ついうっかり忘れてしまった。
I carelessly forgot about it.
ついうっかり秘密を話してしまった。
I accidentally let the secret slip.
ついうっかり電車を乗り過ごして、終点まで行ってしまった。
I absentmindedly rode past my station and ended up at the last stop.
A compound adverb combining つい (unintentionally, before one realizes) and うっかり (carelessly, absentmindedly). The two words reinforce each other to describe a momentary lapse. Very natural and common in spoken Japanese.
USAGE:
Almost always followed by てしまう (or its casual form ちゃう), since the action is unintentional and often regrettable. Both つい and うっかり can be used independently with similar meanings, but the combination is more emphatic.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ついうっかり忘れる — to carelessly forget
- ついうっかり言ってしまう — to accidentally say something
- ついうっかり寝てしまう — to fall asleep without meaning to
- ついうっかり間違える — to make a careless mistake
SIMILAR WORDS:
- つい — unintentionally; milder, can also imply yielding to temptation
- うっかり — carelessly; focuses on inattention
- 思わず — involuntarily; implies a reflexive or instinctive action