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While てしまう is how you say 'end up' when it's something regrettable, Can you
also use it to say 'end up' if it's something good and unexpected such as:

> I ended up making friends with everyone at the party

> パーティーの皆に友達を作ってしまいました。

> I ended up inventing a new recipe

> 新しいレシピを発明してしまいました。
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2022-12-13T16:29:18.213
97626
2022-12-13T23:05:27.333
2022-12-13T17:22:01.947
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nuances english-to-japanese
Can てしまう mean 'end up' with a positive connotation?
Most websites (e.g., [this](https://www.tomojuku.com/blog/teshimau/)) seem to
explain てしまう mean **完了** or 後悔. So it can be used for something positive as
well, and if _end up_ has the connotation of regrettable results, it may not
fit.

  * 新しいレシピを発明してしまいました。

is natural. This may be a surprise, _you know what, I invented a new recipe!_.
It could be also more simply perfect, implying _finally..._

For the first sentence, a more valid translation would be

  * パーティーで全員と友達になってしまいました。

This implies positive surprise, as you wrote.

* * *

(し)ちゃった as a colloquial variant can be used in the same way as well. I believe
in [Tonari no totoro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro)
somehere there was a phrase トトロに会っちゃった.

Similarly 発明しちゃいました・しちゃった or 友達になっちゃいました・なっちゃった is ok above.
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