〜始末だ (~shimatsu da) — end up (in the bad state of) ~

Bad things kept happening, and in the end it came to an even more shameful state — a form of exasperation and complaint.

Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)

V辞書形／Vない + 始末だ

Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)

When to use it

A friend is complaining about her roommate: 'She doesn't pay rent on time, doesn't clean, and now she even borrows MY money!'
In Japanese: 「家賃を払わないうえに、私のお金まで借りていく始末だ」.

Meaning

「〜始末だ」: bad things happened one after another, and in the end — 'look, it has come to this' — you show exasperation, criticism or embarrassment.
It sits at the end of the sentence and points at the final bad state itself; it carries the speaker's irritation, 'this is too much'.
There is also the set phrase 「この始末だ」(just look at this mess!).

How to attach

Verb dictionary form + 始末だ: 借りていく始末だ・寝過ごす始末だった
「〜てしまう始末だ」is also very common
Words like 「ついに・とうとう」or 「〜まで」often come before it, and the bad run of events is told first.

Versus what you know

N2It is close to 「〜あげく」(after a lot of ~, in the end), but 「あげく」links process and result as 'Vた + あげく, result'.
The previous 「〜に至る」is neutral and formal.

Watch out

It is only for bad results — never for a good one like 'I worked hard and passed'.

Examples (उदाहरणहरू)

ルームメートは家賃を払わないうえに、私のお金まで借りていく始末だ。

ルームメートはやちんをはらわないうえに、わたしのおかねまでかりていくしまつだ。

My roommate doesn't pay the rent and has now even taken to borrowing my money.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) First a run of bad things: 家賃を払わない = doesn't pay the rent → 「まで」 = even my money → 借りていく = goes off borrowing (dictionary form) → 「始末だ」 = it's come to this (exasperation).

夜中までスマホを見ていて、今朝は電車で寝過ごす始末だった。

よなかまでスマホをみていて、けさはでんしゃでねすごすしまつだった。

I was on my phone till midnight, and this morning I even slept past my stop on the train.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) First the bad lead-up: 夜中までスマホ = on the phone half the night → 寝過ごす = to sleep past your stop (dictionary form) → 「始末だった」 = it ended in this embarrassing state (annoyed at myself).

新人は何度注意しても確認をせず、とうとうお客様を怒らせる始末だ。

しんじんはなんどちゅういしてもかくにんをせず、とうとうおきゃくさまをおこらせるしまつだ。

No matter how often we warn the new hire, they never check, and now it has finally come to making a customer angry.

How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) First the bad lead-up: 何度注意しても確認をせず = doesn't check no matter how often they're told → 「とうとう」 = finally → 怒らせる = to make someone angry (dictionary form) → 「始末だ」 = it's come to this.

Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)

Question: 1/3

「彼は遅刻ばかりして、とうとう会社を首に＿＿＿始末だ。」— fill the blank.

💡 Hint: Which verb form comes before 始末だ?