Meaning
This pattern expresses a result: something the speaker had been meaning to do was ultimately left undone due to some reason. It carries a strong nuance of regret or self-reproach. Since it describes something that has already concluded, the following clause is in the past tense. The forms 「ずじまいで」 and 「ずじまいに」 are used mid-sentence.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| Verb (ない-form stem) | ずじまいだ |
| Verb する → せ | ずじまいだ |
Examples
-
東京へ出張に来たのに、会議や商談で忙しくて、結局、観光地のどこへも寄らずじまいだった。
Even though I came to Tokyo on a business trip, I was so busy with meetings and negotiations that in the end, I never got around to visiting any tourist spots. -
この提案は良かったのだが、コストが高すぎたため、実現せずじまいだった。
This proposal was good, but the cost was too high, so it ended up never being realized. -
好きな女の子に告白できずじまいで卒業してしまった。
I graduated without ever confessing my feelings to the girl I liked.
Summary
- 「〜ずじまいだ」 means "ended up not doing; never got around to"
- Attaches to Verbs (ない-form stem, with する becoming せ)