結局【けっきょく】

after all, eventually, in the end

AI-generated

Structure

結局 + [sentence] [sentence] + けど / のに + 結局 + [sentence]

Description

結局 means "in the end", "after all": after the back-and-forth, this is how things turned out. It goes at the head of the clause, or just before the verb, and works in speech and writing alike.

、。

In the end, he didn't come.

、。

I thought it over a lot, but in the end I gave up.

、。

We talked for three hours, and in the end nothing was decided.

The outcome is often not what was planned, which gives 結局 a resigned tone, but it can be neutral too.

、。

I agonized over it, but in the end I went with the original plan.

結局 or ついに

and mark something that finally happened after a long wait. 結局 marks how things settled, and the result is often less than you hoped for.

。

My dream finally came true.

、。

I looked for a cheap one, but in the end I bought the expensive one.

Usage notes

These go beyond saying how something turned out.

Summing up

結局 can also give the bottom line of a situation: "when it comes down to it". けっきょく結局のところ is the more formal form.

、。

At the end of the day, what matters is your health.

、。

When it came down to it, it was a question of money.

In a question

In a question, 結局 asks how something ended up.

、。

Did you end up seeing that film?

Examples

、。

In the end, nobody came.

、。

I worried about it a lot, but in the end I went with the original plan.

、。

I took medicine, but after all it didn't get better.

、きごう？

Did you end up watching that movie?

、。

We discussed it for three hours, but in the end nothing was decided.

、。

When it came down to it, it was a money problem.

、。

I tried hard on my own, but I ended up getting help from a friend.

、。

I looked for a cheap one, but in the end I bought the expensive one.

、。

After all, what she was saying was right.

、。

I thought about changing jobs, but in the end I decided to stay at my current company.

、。

I went back and forth, but eventually I ordered curry.

、。

At the end of the day, practice is the most important thing.

精々

考えられない