N2 Results, Change, and Progress

~ずじまい: meaning, usage and examples

~ずじまい means: ended up not... / without ever...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 結局けっきょく、会あわずじまいだった。

   In the end, we never met.

2. 買かおうと思おもったが、買かわずじまいだった。

   I thought of buying it, but ended up not buying it.

3. 旅行りょこう中ちゅうは忙いそがしくて、お土産みやげを買かわずじまいだった。

   I was so busy during the trip that I never got around to buying souvenirs.

4. 借かりた本ほんを、結局けっきょく読よまずじまいで返かえしてしまった。

   In the end, I returned the borrowed book without ever reading it.

When to use it

Says that you meant to do something or had the chance, but time ran out and it never happened. It looks back on a finished period with regret. For example, 旅行りょこう中ちゅう、お土産みやげを買かわずじまいだった means "I never got around to buying souvenirs on the trip." It usually ends in だった or になった.

Nuance

Conversational and neutral, with a feeling of regret or "too late now." It is for past situations that are already over; it does not describe a plan or general habit.

Compare

ないまま also means "without doing," but it describes a continuing state: 電気でんきをつけないまま寝ねた. ずじまい stresses that a chance was lost for good: 結局けっきょく会あわずじまいだった. ずに is simply "without (doing)" and links two actions: 朝あさご飯はんを食たべずに出でかけた. Only ずじまい carries the regret.

Tip: する becomes せずじまい, not しずじまい. Add 結局けっきょく at the start to make the regret sound natural.