Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Finally, at last, in the end.
🎯 Primary Function
Indicates that something desired, expected, or anticipated has finally occurred after a long period, effort, or difficulty.
📋 Grammar Structure
ついに + [Verb/Clause]
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used in formal contexts, often in written reports, speeches, or official announcements reflecting on a long-term process or endeavor.
Informal Situations
Very common in daily conversation to express relief, satisfaction, or the conclusion of a long-awaited event.
Written Language
Frequently used in narratives, reports, academic papers, and articles to mark the culmination of a long process or series of events.
Spoken Language
Widely used in spoken Japanese to express the feeling of something finally happening after a significant wait or effort. The nuance can vary depending on the context (relief, satisfaction, regret, etc.).
💡 Common Applications
Expressing the achievement of a goal after significant effort or a long time.
Used to show that something you worked hard for or waited a long time for has finally happened.
Example: 長年の努力の末、ついに目標を達成した。
(Chounen no doryoku no sue, tsuini mokuhyou o tassei shita.)
After many years of effort, I finally achieved my goal.
Indicating the conclusion of a long-awaited event or process.
Used when something that was delayed, anticipated, or took a long time is finally occurring or finished.
Example: 電車が３０分遅れて、ついに来た。
(Densha ga sanjuppun okurete, tsuini kita.)
The train was 30 minutes late, but it finally came.
Describing an inevitable or significant outcome after a long period, sometimes negative.
Can also be used when a process leads to a final, sometimes unfortunate, conclusion.
Example: 彼は病気と長い間戦ったが、ついに亡くなってしまった。
(Kare wa byouki to nagai aida tatakatta ga, tsuini nakunatte shimatta.)
He fought against the illness for a long time, but in the end, he passed away.
Frequency
High, particularly when describing processes that involve time, effort, or anticipation.
Difficulty
Moderate for N3. The core meaning is accessible, but understanding its nuances compared to similar adverbs is key.
Example Sentences
ずっと欲しかった本を、ついに手に入れた。
I finally got the book I had wanted for a long time.
建設工事は予定より遅れたが、ついに完成した。
The construction work was delayed from the schedule, but it was finally completed.
両親に反対されたが、ついに彼女と結婚した。
My parents were against it, but I finally married her.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Emphasis on the Process
ついに strongly emphasizes the duration, effort, or difficulty of the process that led to the final outcome.
Example: ３年間の受験勉強の末、ついに合格した。
(Sannenkan no juken benkyou no sue, tsuini goukaku shita.)
After three years of studying for the exam, I finally passed. (Highlights the long study period.)
Applicable to Both Positive and Negative Outcomes
Unlike some similar words (like やっと), ついに can be used for both desired/positive outcomes and undesirable/negative outcomes.
Example: 希望の大学についに入学できた。
(Kibou no daigaku ni tsuini nyuugaku dekita.)
I was finally able to enroll in my desired university. (Positive) 彼の病気は悪化し、ついに命を落としてしまった。
(Kare no byouki wa akka shi, tsuini inochi o otoshite shimatta.)
His illness worsened, and in the end, he lost his life. (Negative)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ついに for simple, quick events.
✅ Use words like 最後に (saigo ni), とうとう (toutou) for simple sequence, or expressions indicating quick action for swift events.
ついに implies a significant process, wait, or effort. Using it for something that happened immediately or without prior difficulty feels unnatural. 最後に just means “lastly” or “at the end of a sequence”.
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🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness of the sentence is determined by the surrounding grammar and vocabulary, not by ついに itself.
Social Situations: Used in a wide range of social situations, both personal and public, whenever describing the culmination of a long-term situation.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. No significant regional variations in meaning or usage.
🔍 Subtle Differences
ついに vs やっと (yatto)
Both mean “finally” after a wait or difficulty. やっと often focuses on personal relief or satisfaction from the difficulty/wait ending. ついに feels slightly more formal or momentous, emphasizing the end of a long process or series of events, and can apply to negative outcomes more easily than やっと.
When to use: Use ついに when emphasizing the conclusion of a long, possibly challenging period or series of events, or for significant positive/negative outcomes. Use やっと when the focus is more on the personal relief or satisfaction that the waiting/difficulty is over.
ついに vs とうとう (toutou)
Both mean “finally” or “in the end”. とうとう can sometimes carry a stronger sense of inevitability or expectation, and can also be used for both positive and negative results, potentially with a slightly more dramatic tone than ついに. ついに might be used more when highlighting the effort or journey leading to the end.
When to use: They are often interchangeable, especially for outcomes after a long wait or process. とうとう might be preferred when the final outcome feels like it was bound to happen. ついに might be better when highlighting the effort or the duration of the process.
ついに vs 結局 (kekkyoku)
結局 means “in the end,” “after all,” or “ultimately.” It summarizes the final outcome or conclusion of a situation, often implying that things didn’t necessarily go as initially planned or that this is the final result regardless of the process. It focuses on the *result* rather than the *arrival* after a long process.
When to use: Use 結局 to state the final result or conclusion of events or discussions. Use ついに to state that something long-awaited or after a long process has finally occurred.
📝 Conjugation Notes
ついに is an adverb and does not conjugate. It typically precedes the verb or clause it modifies.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced tsu-i-ni. Ensure both “i” sounds are pronounced clearly.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ついに as “Tsuu-i-ni! It finally happened after a long time!”
Practice Exercises
３年間毎日日本語を勉強しました。（ ）JLPT N3に合格できました。
結局
ついに
たぶん
すぐ
色々な問題がありましたが、このプロジェクトは（ ）完成しました。
きっと
結局
ついに
まだ
6 Views
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