Work in progress! Native speakers are still checking every phrase. Spot something off? Tell us.
cursing.in curse like a local

Japanese · Exclamations

しまった

shimatta

shee-MAHT-tah · /ɕimatta/

Damn / oops / oh no, I blew it

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"it has been done / it's finished (regretfully)"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The clean, almost-polite "oops, my mistake" — you left the stove on, forgot the umbrella, sent the text to the wrong person. Safe in nearly any company because it blames yourself, not anyone else. The rough male version is "shimatta" clipped to "shimata" or the blunter "yabe."

Heard in the wild

しまった、鍵を家に忘れた。

Damn — I left the keys at home.

Where it lands

Nationwide

Quick answers

What does "しまった" mean?
In Japanese, "しまった" means "Damn / oops / oh no, I blew it". Literally it's "it has been done / it's finished (regretfully)". The clean, almost-polite "oops, my mistake" — you left the stove on, forgot the umbrella, sent the text to the wrong person. Safe in nearly any company because it blames yourself, not anyone else. The rough male version is "shimatta" clipped to "shimata" or the blunter "yabe."
Is "しまった" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "しまった"?
Say it "shee-MAHT-tah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ɕimatta.

Related in Japanese

くそ kuso KOO-so Damn! / Crap! / Shit! 何だよ nanda yo NAHN-dah yo What the hell / what's your problem 面倒くさい mendōkusai men-DOH-koo-sigh What a pain / can't be bothered / such a hassle 畜生 chikushō chee-koo-SHOH Dammit! / God damn it! たっけえ takkee (takai) tahk-KEH Damn, that's expensive! / highway robbery めちゃくちゃ mechakucha MEH-chah-koo-chah A total mess / all messed up (or: super, as an intensifier)

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Damn".

how to say "Damn" →

Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.