adverbial N2 common casualpolitewritten
うっかり — carelessly
うっかり
Meaning
- carelessly / inadvertently / without thinking — does or forgets something through a momentary lapse of attention
Stresses an unintended slip from inattention — the speaker didn't mean to; often apologetic or self-deprecating.
Key sentence
うっかり傘を電車に忘れた。
I carelessly left my umbrella on the train.
Examples
うっかりして約束を忘れてしまった。
I had a lapse and completely forgot the appointment.
うっかり秘密を口にするところだった。
I almost let the secret slip without thinking.
When you can't use it
- Describes an accidental act caused by inattention, usually with an unwanted result (often + 〜てしまう). うっかりする = 'to be careless / have a lapse'.
Easily confused with
See うっかり in real sentences
Jengo shows うっかり the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.