Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“At last,” “finally,” “certainly,” “surely,” “all the more,” “increasingly.”
🎯 Primary Function
An adverb used to indicate that a long-awaited event is finally happening, that a situation has reached a critical point, or that something is becoming increasingly so.
📋 Grammar Structure
いよいよ + [Verb/Adjective/Noun phrase]
Acts as an adverb modifying the following element.
Often comes at the beginning of a clause or phrase it modifies.
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used in formal announcements or speeches about significant upcoming events.
Informal Situations
Frequently used in everyday conversation when talking about something anticipated.
Written Language
Common in both formal and informal writing, news articles, literature.
Spoken Language
Very common in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing the imminent start of an anticipated event.
Used when something important or long-awaited is finally about to begin or happen.
Example: コンサートがいよいよ開演します。(The concert is finally starting.)
Emphasizing a critical or decisive moment.
Used to highlight the importance or tension of the current situation.
Example: 試験まであと一日。いよいよ本番だ。(Only one day left until the exam. It’s finally the real test.)
Indicating something is becoming increasingly so, especially in conjunction with a reason.
Often used with ～ば～ほど or ～からこそ to show something is becoming more and more [adjective/adverb].
Example: 練習すればするほど、いよいよ難しく感じる。(The more I practice, the more difficult it feels.)
Frequency
Fairly common, especially when discussing anticipated events or increasing states.
Difficulty
Moderate (N2 level). Understanding the different nuances (finally vs. increasingly) is key.
Example Sentences
いよいよ新しいプロジェクトが始まります。
Finally, the new project will start.
長い準備期間を経て、いよいよオープンです。
After a long preparation period, we are finally open.
難しい問題ですが、いよいよ解決に近づいています。
It’s a difficult problem, but we are finally getting closer to a solution.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Expresses a sense of anticipation or climax.
Unlike a simple “finally,” いよいよ often carries a feeling that the moment has been eagerly awaited or is significant.
Example: 子供たちは遠足の日がいよいよ来たと喜んだ。(The children were happy that the day of the field trip had finally arrived.)
Can mean “increasingly” or “all the more.”
Used to show an intensification of a state or feeling, often due to a preceding condition.
Example: 忙しければ忙しいほど、いよいよ集中力が高まる。(The busier I am, the more my concentration increases.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using いよいよ for a simple, non-anticipated “finally” or for something ending.
✅ Use とうとう or ついに instead.
いよいよ is best for things starting, arriving, or reaching a critical peak, not necessarily for the conclusion or result of something.
❌ Confusing the “finally” and “increasingly” meanings.
✅ Pay attention to the context, especially preceding clauses indicating a condition or progression.
The surrounding sentence structure will usually clarify which meaning is intended.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral, can be used in both polite and casual speech.
Social Situations: Appropriate for a wide range of situations when discussing upcoming events or intensifying states.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese, no significant regional variations in meaning.
🔍 Subtle Differences
いよいよ vs. とうとう vs. ついに
いよいよ often implies anticipation or a critical stage. とうとう can imply relief or disappointment after a process. ついに often implies achievement or reaching a conclusion after effort/difficulty.
When to use: Use いよいよ for anticipated starts/climaxes or increasing states. Use とうとう for long-awaited outcomes (good or bad). Use ついに for achieving something difficult or reaching a significant endpoint.
いよいよ vs. ますます
いよいよ can mean “increasingly,” but ますます is solely used for intensification (“more and more”) without the “finally/at last” nuance.
When to use: Use いよいよ when the increasing state is reaching a critical point or is tied to a preceding condition. Use ますます for simple, continuous intensification.
undefined
undefined
When to use: undefined
📝 Conjugation Notes
いよいよ is an adverb, so it does not conjugate.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced “i-yo-yo,” emphasis is relatively flat or slightly on the second ‘yo’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Associate いよいよ with the feeling of excitement or tension right *before* a big event starts, or the feeling of something steadily *intensifying*. Think of a concert beginning or a race reaching the final lap.
Practice Exercises
Select the most appropriate word for the blank: 長い練習期間を経て、A)＿＿＿発表会の日を迎えた。
とうとう
結局
いよいよ
ますます
Select the most appropriate word for the blank: 山の上に行くほど、B)＿＿＿寒くなってきた。
ついに
いよいよ
結局
とうとう
16 Views
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.