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I was watching an anime (Re:Zero) and I came across a character using "死んじゃえ"
instead of the typical "死ね"? From context "死んじゃえ" seems more forceful but can
someone tell me what does it actually mean, how would a Japanese person read
"死んじゃえ" in a cultural sense?
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2022-01-04T02:11:28.470
92825
2022-01-04T06:33:28.750
50150
question
word-choice
What is the difference between 死ね and 死んじゃえ?
Have you learned about the subsidiary verb しまう? -じゃえ is the imperative form of
-じゃう, which is a contracted form of -てしまう. So 死んじゃえ is the same as 死んでしまえ
except that the former is more colloquial.

As a subsidiary verb, (-て)しまう has several functions. For one, it can add a
nuance of carefreeness, or the sense of "anyway", "stop worrying", "I don't
care", "although it may come with a bad consequence", "I dare say", "no matter
what will happen" and so on. See: [What are these forms: かけちゃお,
つないじゃお?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/4781/5010)

For example:

  * ボタン押しますよ?  
I'll push this button, okay?

  * ボタン押しちゃいますよ?  
I'll push this button _(anyway, although it may be dangerous)_ , okay?

Likewise, 死んじゃえ sounds like the speaker is aware that it's a bad thing to say
and that it may come with a bad consequence. For example, 死んじゃえ is what an
angry small girl may say to her mother; she knows that her mom is important,
but when she can't help feeling like saying "Die!", she says 死んじゃえ in
Japanese. On the other hand, 死ね is a simple and blunt order.
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2022-01-04T02:34:04.517
92826
2022-01-04T06:33:28.750
2022-01-04T06:33:28.750
5010
5010
92825
answer