Meaning of -te shimau

McCrutch67 · 12 Apr 2005

I've seen this in a couple places before and actually remembered two for examples. Can someone explain the meaning of the shimau in the following examples?

Trigun:
俺がここで撃てば(if I shot him [now/here])
彼女は本当に死んでしまう (she really would die...?)

Inuyasha:
何日かたつと亡骸はどこかへ消えてしまうんだ ([what day]...[corpses disappear to somewhere]) I also can't figure out what this is saying. I don't really understand what "何日" means. Previous statements, "That well is called the 'bone-eater's well.' That's where we get rid of monster's corpses."

Thanks

Miki-san · 12 Apr 2005

McCrutch67 said:
I've seen this in a couple places before and actually remembered two for examples. Can someone explain the meaning of the shimau in the following examples?

Trigun:
俺がここで撃てば(if I shot him [now/here])
彼女は本当に死んでしまう (she really would die...?)

Inuyasha:
何日かたつと亡骸はどこかへ消えてしまうんだ ([what day]...[corpses disappear to somewhere]) I also can't figure out what this is saying. I don't really understand what "何日" means. Previous statements, "That well is called the 'bone-eater's well.' That's where we get rid of monster's corpses."

Thanks

When "shimau" follows the -te form of verbs, it brings to bear an array of nuances inlcuding completeness, regret, surprise, excitement, and impulsiveness.

Some Examples -
Completeness:
和尚にたのまれていた肉体労働も今のうちに片づけしまう.
"I decided to also go ahead and finish off some physical labor the priest had asked me to do"

Regret:
何てことをしてしまったんだ?
What have I done?

Surprise:
さあ, まったく予期せぬ試合展開となってしまいました.
Well, the match has taken a completely unexpected turn!

Completeness + Regret:
もうなくなってしまった
It's gone already!

Inuyasha:
何日かたつと亡骸はどこかへ消えてしまうんだ

The remains will disappear after several days

Hope that helps
Miki-san

McCrutch67 · 13 Apr 2005

McCrutch67 said:
彼女は本当に死んでしまう (she really would die...?)

So does this mean(possibly) that there would be regret or that it would be a bad thing or could it be translated "be completely/fully dead"?

Miki-san said:
Inuyasha:
何日かたつと亡骸はどこかへ消えてしまうんだ

The remains will disappear after several days

Could it also be "completely disappear" and is the どこかへ not translated just because it's awkward english?

It seems like it means to "go and do" or to "finish off" which kind of fits with the completeness in english. But it kind of seems like one of those things like "ne, wa, ze, zo" at the end of sentences that aren't really translatable. Any clarifications would help. After seeing it enough it will probably stick in my mind what situations it's used in.

Elizabeth · 13 Apr 2005

The two below sentences are another couple ways you might see it, they both have overtones of "unfortunately"/"regretfully" besides fully and completely (or get all the way to a point). Although a search of this site plus the hundreds of examples on EDICT should get you on your way much more sufficiently.

病気のことを聞くと、彼女は不機嫌になってしまうのであまりききたくないのです。

儀式だからもし断ると、そのコミュニティーからはみ出してしまいますし、そんなもの無いほう
が幸せだと思う人の方がずっと多いことでしょう。

Miki-san · 14 Apr 2005

McCrutch67 said:
So does this mean(possibly) that there would be regret or that it would be a bad thing or could it be translated "be completely/fully dead"?

Could it also be "completely disappear" and is the どこかへ not translated just because it's awkward english?

It seems like it means to "go and do" or to "finish off" which kind of fits with the completeness in english. But it kind of seems like one of those things like "ne, wa, ze, zo" at the end of sentences that aren't really translatable. Any clarifications would help. After seeing it enough it will probably stick in my mind what situations it's used in.

Since I don't know the context, I can only guess. But in the Trigun quote it almost seems like it's saying something like:

"It would kill her if I shot him (now)...."

conveying undesirable/unfortunate

どこかへ消えてしまう can mean "there goes". So maybe the exclamation "There goes the corpse (in a couple of days)"

also conveying undesirable/unfortunate

I don't know if this makes better sense.

Miki-san

Meaning of -te shimau

McCrutch67

先輩

Miki-san

先輩

McCrutch67

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

Miki-san

先輩

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