Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Finally / At last / In the end
🎯 Primary Function
An adverb used to emphasize that something has finally happened after a long period of time, effort, or anticipation.
📋 Grammar Structure
ついに + [Verb (usually past tense or indicative of change)]
ついに + [Adjective Phrase]
ついに + [Adjective Phrase]
ついに + [Negative Verb Form] (Often implies a negative outcome or something that never happened)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Common in news reports, documentaries, and formal speeches to describe significant achievements or events.
Informal Situations
Used in daily conversation when sharing big news or personal milestones.
Written Language
Frequently found in novels and historical accounts to provide a sense of climax or resolution.
Spoken Language
Commonly used to express relief or excitement about an event occurring.
💡 Common Applications
Achieving a Goal
Used when a long-standing effort or dream is finally realized.
Example: ついにエベレストの頂上に到達した。
Natural or Inevitable Result
Used when something that was expected to happen eventually occurs, often due to building pressure or time.
Example: 雨が降り続き、ついにダムが決壊した。
Negative Conclusion
Used to describe a situation where, after waiting or hoping, the result was negative or did not happen.
Example: 彼はついに現れなかった。
Frequency
High
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
5年間の努力の末、ついにJLPT N1に合格した。
Furigana: 5ねんかんのどりょくのすえ、ついにJLPT N1にごうかくした。
Romaji: Gonenkan no doryoku no sue, tsuini JLPT N1 ni goukaku shita.
English: After five years of hard work, I finally passed the JLPT N1.
Example #2
待ちに待った新型モデルが、ついに今日発売された。
Furigana: まちにまったしんがたモデルが、ついにきょうはつばいされた。
Romaji: Machi ni matta shingata moderu ga, tsuini kyou hatsubai sareta.
English: The long-awaited new model was finally released today.
Example #3
1週間も大雨が降り続け、ついに川があふれ出した。
Furigana: 1しゅうかんもおおあめがふりつづけ、ついにかわがあふれだした。
Romaji: Isshuukan mo ooame ga furitsuzuke, tsuini kawa ga afuredashita.
English: The heavy rain continued for a week, and the river finally overflowed.
Example #4
3時間待って、ついにその有名なレストランがオープンした。
Furigana: 3じかんまって、ついにそのゆうめいなレストランがオープンした。
Romaji: Sanjikan matte, tsuini sono yuumeina resutoran ga oopun shita.
English: After three hours of waiting, the famous restaurant finally opened.
Example #5
二人は10年付き合って、ついに結婚することにした。
Furigana: ふたりは10ねんつきあって、ついにけっこんすることにした。
Romaji: Futari wa juunen tsukiatte, tsuini kekkon suru koto ni shita.
English: They had been dating for ten years and finally decided to get married.
Example #6
何度も失敗したが、ついに実験が成功した。
Furigana: なんどもしっぱいしたが、ついにじっけんがせいこうした。
Romaji: Nando mo shippai shita ga, tsuini jikken ga seikou shita.
English: After many failures, the experiment was finally successful.
Example #7
ずっと探していた希少な本を、ついに古本屋で見つけた。
Furigana: ずっとさがしていたきしょうなほんを、ついにふるほんやでみつけた。
Romaji: Zutto sagashite ita kishouna hon wo, tsuini furuhonya de mitsuketa.
English: I had been looking for this rare book for years and finally found it at a second-hand bookstore.
Example #8
容疑者はついに罪状を認めた。
Furigana: ようぎしゃはついにざいじょうをみとめた。
Romaji: Yougisha wa tsuini zaijou wo mitome ta.
English: The suspect finally confessed to the crime.
Example #9
2年かけて取り組んできたプロジェクトが、ついに完成した。
Furigana: 2ねんかけてとりくんできたプロジェクトが、ついに完成した。
Romaji: Ninen kakete torikunde kita purojekuto ga, tsuini kansei shita.
English: The project we worked on for two years is finally complete.
Example #10
何十年も立っていた壁が、ついに崩れ落ちた。
Furigana: なんじゅうねんもたっていたかべが、ついにくずれおちた。
Romaji: Nanjuunen mo tatte ita kabe ga, tsuini kuzureochita.
English: The wall that had stood for decades finally collapsed.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Use for both positive and negative results
Unlike ‘Yatto’, ‘Tsuini’ can be used for tragic or negative events that were anticipated or feared.
Example: ついに戦争が始まった。
Sense of ‘Long Time’ or ‘Accumulation’
It carries a weight of time. It implies that a significant amount of time has passed before the event occurred.
Example: ついに夢が叶った！
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ ついに休みが来た。 (Tsuini yasumi ga kita.) – Not ‘wrong’, but feels overly dramatic for just a weekend break.
✅ やっと休みが来た。 (Yatto yasumi ga kita.)
‘Yatto’ is better suited for a sense of relief regarding personal, positive things, whereas ‘Tsuini’ feels more objective or grand.
❌ やっと彼は犯行を認めた。 (Yatto kare wa hankou wo mitometa.) – This sounds like you were happy he committed the crime.
✅ ついに彼は犯行を認めた。 (Tsuini kare wa hankou wo mitometa.)
‘Tsuini’ can be used for negative outcomes, while ‘Yatto’ is almost exclusively for positive ones.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. It can be used in both polite and casual Japanese.
Social Situations: Often used when reaching the climax of a story or reporting a long-awaited result.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese used nationwide.
🔍 Subtle Differences
ついに (Tsuini) vs. やっと (Yatto)
‘Yatto’ is used for positive outcomes through effort/waiting. ‘Tsuini’ is more objective and can be used for both positive and negative outcomes.
When to use: Use ‘Yatto’ for personal relief. Use ‘Tsuini’ for major events or dramatic conclusions.
ついに (Tsuini) vs. とうとう (Toutou)
‘Toutou’ is more colloquial and often emphasizes the process leading up to the end. ‘Tsuini’ is more formal and emphasizes the finality.
When to use: Use ‘Toutou’ in casual speech; use ‘Tsuini’ in writing or formal contexts.
📝 Conjugation Notes
As an adverb, ‘ついに’ does not conjugate. It usually appears at the beginning of the clause it modifies.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The emphasis is usually even, but in spoken Japanese, the first ‘tsu’ might be slightly stressed to add drama.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘Tsuini’ as the ‘end of a long road.’ The kanji 遂 (sui) means ‘to accomplish’ or ‘to carry through,’ which helps remember that something finally ‘went through’ to the end.
Other Grammar
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