How to say "finally" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- adverbEmphasizes that after a long wait or process, the moment has at last arrived; it works for happy and unhappy outcomes alike. Typical context: something pursued or dreaded for a long time finally happening.
- adverbFinally after considerable effort, difficulty, or delay; the nuance is relief that the goal was reached at all. Typical context: a project that dragged on for months is finally finished.
- adverbVery close to ようやく: 'at last, finally' after hardship or long waiting, with a strong sense of relief; it is a mimetic word. Typical context: finally getting to meet someone after a long separation.
- adverbFrames an outcome as the end result of a long process — 'in the end, ultimately' — often something feared or inevitable that finally came to pass. Typical context: a long-ailing company finally going under.
- 末にすえにadverbReally means 'after (a long process), finally', so the process must be named before it; for a plain 'finally' it is seldom the word you want. Typical context: a decision finally made after long deliberation.
Choose 「ついに」 for a long-awaited culmination, 「ようやく」 or 「やっと」 for relief after effort or waiting, 「とうとう」 for an eventual outcome often dreaded or inevitable, and 「末に」 only after naming the process that led to it.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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