ついに (tsui ni)
ついに — “finally / in the end”
Pattern
-
ついに + 動詞(過去形)ついに + verb in the past (ついに完成した) -
ついに + 動詞ない形(過去)ついに + negative past (ついに来なかった): in the end, it didn't happen
Positive: “finally”
After a long process, a result arrives: 三年かかって、ついに小説が完成した. It usually carries a sense of achievement or relief. The result is something expected or hoped for.
Negative: “in the end, not”
With a negative verb it says something never happened despite waiting: 待ち続けたが、返事はついに来なかった. It carries disappointment.
Difference from やっと / とうとう
やっと stresses the difficulty or effort until the result. とうとう and ついに are very close and focus on the final arrival after a long time. ついに is a little more formal.
Examples
-
三年(さんねん)かかって、ついに小説(しょうせつ)が完成(かんせい)した。
Sannen kakatte, tsui ni shōsetsu ga kansei shita.
After three years, the novel was finally completed.
-
長年(ながねん)の努力(どりょく)が実(みの)り、ついに夢(ゆめ)がかなった。
Naganen no doryoku ga minori, tsui ni yume ga kanatta.
My years of effort paid off, and my dream finally came true.
-
待(ま)ち続(つづ)けたが、返事(へんじ)はついに来(こ)なかった。
Machitsuzuketa ga, henji wa tsui ni konakatta.
I kept waiting, but in the end the reply never came.
A negative verb: it never happened.
Common mistakes
- Do not confuse it with つい (unintentionally). ついに has the long-wait meaning.
- It is used for results that have already happened. For a future plan, use やっと〜できそうだ or そろそろ.
More grammar points
- ぶりに ~ぶりに — for the first time in ~ (a period)
- 中(ちゅう) ~中 (ちゅう/じゅう) — during ~, within ~
- ふと ふと — suddenly, on an impulse
- ごとに ~ごとに — every ~, at each ~
- 一度(いちど)に 一度に — all at once
- から〜にかけて ~から~にかけて — from ~ through ~
- にかけて ~から~にかけて — spanning from ~ to ~
- につれて ~につれて — as ~ progresses, ~ changes
- 際(さい)に ~際に — at the time of ~ / when ~
- 最中(さいちゅう)に ~最中に — right in the middle of ~
- しばらく しばらく — for a while
- すでに すでに — already
- たとたん ~たとたん — “the moment ~”
- たびに ~たびに — “every time ~”
- てはじめて ~てはじめて — “only after ~ing”
- てからでないと ~てからでないと — “not unless ~ first”
- 途中(とちゅう)で/途中(とちゅう)に 途中で/途中に — “on the way / partway through”
- うちに ~うちに — “while ~ / before it changes”
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