Structure
つい + Phrase
Details
Standard
About つい
Appearing most frequently at the beginning of sentences, つい is an adverb that may be translated as 'accidentally', 'unconsciously', 'absentmindedly', or 'against one's better judgment'. つい will often be paired with statements that use てしまう, to emphasize that something was unintentional.
Fun Fact
Although 'accidentally' is the most common meaning of つい, it actually may be used to convey three different nuances. These are as follows:
はからず - Something that is uncalculated.
思わず - Something that is not thought about.
距離がわずかなさま - A small gap/interval.
In each of these meanings, つい keeps a sense of time being the most important factor. Due to this, つい will give the impression that whatever resulted in the 'accidental' action, will be something that happened momentarily. This is very close to the meaning of 'lapse' in English. 'a lapse in time', 'a lapse in judgment', 'a lapse in forethought'.
Related
Vocab Coverage
All Bunpro Vocab that appears on this item.
Examples
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つい楽な方に流されてしまう。
I always end up unconsciously taking the easy route.
運転中、ついよそ見をしてしまう。
I sometimes accidentally look away while driving.
運動を始めると、ついやり過ぎてしまう。
When I start doing exercises, I always end up accidentally overdoing it.
笑ってはいけないのに、つい笑ってしまう。
Since I am not supposed to laugh, it feels like I might accidentally laugh.
「つい食べ過ぎてしまう」なんて言い訳だ。
Saying things like: 'I unconsciously eat too much' is just an excuse.
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Self-Study Sentences
Online
How to use つい
Maggie Sensei
例文 - Example Sentences
J-nihongo
Offline
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 209
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