Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン)
逃げちゃダメだ
Nigecha dame da.
“I mustn't run away.”
— Shinji Ikari
Answer both practice questions correctly to complete this line.
Not yetThe scene
Shinji repeats this to himself like a spell whenever he has to climb into the Eva and face something terrifying. It is not confidence — it is a frightened kid talking himself into standing his ground, which is why the line has stuck with fans for decades.
Word by word
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 逃げる | nigeru | to run away, to escape |
| ちゃ | cha | contraction of ては — the first half of the 'must not' pattern |
| ダメ | dame | no good, not allowed, must not |
Grammar notes
〜ちゃダメ: must not
Verb-て form + は + ダメ means 'must not do ~'. In casual speech ては squishes into ちゃ: 食べちゃダメ (must not eat that), 見ちゃダメ (must not look). Shinji's 逃げちゃ is 逃げては in disguise.
Talking to yourself
Japanese self-encouragement often takes the form of blunt statements ending in だ, with no 'I' anywhere. The repetition — fans quote it three times in a row, as Shinji does — is the sound of someone psyching himself up.
Can you say this in real life?
This is self-talk, muttered to oneself — saying it to another person as a command would sound harsh. But the pattern 〜ちゃダメ ('must not do ~') is completely normal Japanese, used by parents, teachers, and friends every day.
Practice
Q1. What is Shinji telling himself?
Q2. 「食べ＿＿ダメ！」 (You mustn't eat that!)
Read & Watch Neon Genesis Evangelion
The best way to enjoy this line in the wild is to meet it in the original work. Official places to read and watch Neon Genesis Evangelion will be listed here.
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