Meaning & usage
て仕方がない expresses an uncontrollable feeling, desire, or sensation that reaches an extreme degree, often translated as dying to, can't help feeling, or can't stand. It follows the te-form of verbs such as 気がして, the kute-form of i-adjectives such as うるさくて, and de after na-adjectives and nouns such as 楽しみで, with desire form たい behaving as an i-adjective in forms like 飲みたくて. It normally reports the speaker's own state, so describing another person's feeling requires an evidential marker rather than a direct statement.
Example sentences 5
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コーヒーが飲みたくて仕方がない。
I'm dying for a cup of coffee.
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来月の誕生日が楽しみで仕方がない。
I can't wait for my birthday next month.
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今日は月曜日なのに、日曜日のような気がして仕方がない。
Today's Monday, but I can't help feeling like it's Sunday.
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逢いたくて仕方がないんだ。
I'm dying to see you.
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甥っ子と姪っ子が遊びに来たのはいいが、朝から晩までどたばたと家中を走り回り、うるさくて仕方がない。
It's great that my nephew and niece came over to play, but they're so annoying making such a racket running all over the house all day that I can't stand it.
