甲斐もなく【かいもなく】

despite, in spite of, in vain, effort did not pay off

AI-generated

Structure

[verb た-form] + 甲斐もなく [noun] + の + 甲斐もなく

Description

甲斐もなく means "in spite of": someone made an effort and it didn't pay off. It follows a verb in the た-form, or a noun with の, and the clause after it is the disappointing result.

、。

For all my effort, I failed the exam.

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In spite of the treatment, he died.

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We stayed up all night preparing, and the event was cancelled anyway.

is the worth or reward of an effort, and も adds "not even": the effort got nothing back. The result has already happened, so the sentence ends in the past.

Only after an effort

What comes before 甲斐もなく has to be something someone did to get a result – studying, treatment, practice, persuading. A plain event or a reason doesn't fit, and for those you use のに.

、。

I tried desperately to talk her round, and she left anyway.

、。

The forecast said sunny, but it rained.

× 晴れの予報の甲斐もなく、雨が降った → 晴れの予報だったのに、雨が降った

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甲斐もなく belongs to writing and formal speech: news reports, narratives, a speech looking back. ちりょう治療のかい甲斐もなく is the stock phrase for a death after medical care. In conversation you'd say がんばった頑張ったのに or せっかくがんばった頑張ったのに.

、。

I practised so hard, and I still messed up on the day.

The positive side, where the effort did pay off, is かいがある甲斐がある.

Examples

、。

Despite studying desperately, I didn't pass.

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Despite the surgery, the patient passed away.

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Despite preparing all night, the event was canceled.

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Despite everyone cheering, the team lost.

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Despite revising it many times, the proposal was rejected.

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Despite years of research, no results were achieved.

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Despite running as hard as I could, I missed the last train.

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Despite practicing every day, we were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

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Despite all the trouble I went through to grow them, the flowers withered.

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Despite putting my heart into making it, nobody ate it.

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Despite trying to hold him back, he quit the company.