うっかり
ukkari
The English word 'accidentally' can be translated into Japanese as うっかり (ukkari).
うっかり is an adverb used to describe something happening by chance. Other related terms include 勘違いして for 'mistakenly', 思わず for 'unintentionally' and 誤って for 'by mistake' or 'in error'.
Meaning: happening by chance, not necessarily a lucky one (adv)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish うっかり from 偶然に. While うっかり implies a careless mistake, 偶然に is used for coincidences or things happening by chance without human error or negligence.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can turn the adverb into a verb phrase by adding する, resulting in うっかりする, which means 'to be careless' or 'to make a slip'. Additionally, うっかり is often paired with the grammatical structures してしまう or してしまった to emphasize the accidental completion of an action.
How do you pronounce it?
ukkari
Did you know?
- The sound of うっかり is onomatopoeic, mimicking the feeling of a mental slip or a sudden blankness in one's mind.
- When using うっかり in a social setting, speakers often pair it with a physical gesture, such as a light slap to the forehead or a small bow of apology.
- In Japanese, うっかり specifically implies a lapse in attention, so you cannot use it for accidents caused by external forces. If a tree falls on your car, it is not うっかり because you were not 'careless'.
Examples in context
- 彼はうっかり金槌で親指を叩いてしまった。He accidentally hit his thumb with the hammer.This sentence shows the use of うっかり to describe hitting a thumb with a hammer.Tatoeba #1179467 by bunbuku, translation #294514 by CK
- トムはうっかり事務所のオートロックに締め出しを食らってしまった。Tom accidentally locked himself out of his office.This sentence shows the use of うっかり regarding locking oneself out of an office.Tatoeba #3509583 by arnab, translation #3509521 by CK
- うっかりお茶をこぼしてしまいました。I accidentally spilled tea.
- メールを誤って削除してしまいました。I accidentally deleted the email.
- つい彼の名前が出てしまった。His name accidentally slipped out.
- うっかりメールを送信してしまった。ukkari mēru o sōshin shite shimatta.I accidentally sent the email.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are in the kitchen.
- 蓮 Renごめん、うっかり塩を入れすぎた。gomen, ukkari shio o iresugita.Sorry, I accidentally put in too much salt.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に？味が濃くなるよ。hontō ni? aji ga kokunaru yo.Really? It's going to taste too strong.
- 蓮 Renもう一度作り直すね。mō ichido tsukurinaosu ne.I'll make it again.
- 陽葵 Himariいいよ、次は気をつけてね。ii yo, tsugi wa ki o tsukete ne.It's okay, just be careful next time.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
