[Student’s sentence]

 

スマホをついバスに忘れてしまいました。
I accidentally left my phone on the bus.

*スマホをついバスにわすれてしまいました。

 

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[My correction]

 

スマホをついバスに忘れてしまいました。
→スマホをうっかりバスに忘れてしまいました。
I accidentally left my phone on the bus.

 

つい refers to doing something instinctively or out of habit, while うっかり describes actions done due to carelessness. In the sentence ‘I left my phone on the bus’, the action happened because of carelessness. Therefore, the correct word to use is うっかり.

 

Examples:

うっかり男子(だんし)トイレに入(はい)ってしまった！
I accidentally went into the men’s toilet! (Note: The speaker is a woman.)

 

セール中(ちゅう)だとつい買(か)いすぎてしまう。
I tend to buy too much when there’s a sale.

 

 

In the JLPT course, each lesson includes homework. Submit your homework, and I’ll provide corrections. I’ll break down Japanese grammar, highlighting mistakes and explaining structures and nuances in a simple way. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need—I’m here to help you understand!