つい (tsui)
つい — “unintentionally / without meaning to”
Pattern
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つい ＋ 動詞（た形・てしまった）つい + verb in the past (つい食べすぎた, つい読んでしまった)
Meaning and connection
つい goes right before the verb. ダイエット中なのに、つい食べすぎた. The speaker knew better but did it anyway. It describes a weak moment or a habit.
Often with ～てしまう
Adding ～てしまった makes the regret clearer: つい夜遅くまで読んでしまった. The verb is usually in the past, and it describes an action the speaker regrets or feels embarrassed about.
Difference from うっかり
つい is about being drawn to do something you should not do. うっかり is about carelessness or forgetting (うっかり忘れた). つい is not used for pure forgetting.
Examples
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ダイエット中（ちゅう）なのに、つい食（た）べすぎた。
Daietto-chū na no ni, tsui tabesugita.
Even though I'm dieting, I ate too much without thinking.
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面白（おもしろ）くて、つい夜（よる）遅（おそ）くまで読（よ）んでしまった。
Omoshirokute, tsui yoru osoku made yonde shimatta.
It was so interesting that I ended up reading late into the night without meaning to.
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静（しず）かにと言（い）われたのに、つい大（おお）きな声（こえ）を出（だ）した。
Shizuka ni to iwareta no ni, tsui ōkina koe o dashita.
Although I was told to be quiet, I raised my voice without thinking.
Common mistakes
- It is for actions you did not intend. Do not use it for an action done on purpose.
- Usually past tense. A future form such as つい食べるつもりだ is unnatural.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
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