1.
finally, at last
After a long time or effort.
ついに完成した。
It was finally completed.
ついに夢が叶った。
My dream has finally come true.
ついに真実が分かった。
At last, I learned the truth.
ついに頂上に着いた。
We finally reached the summit.
ついにこの日が来た。
This day has finally come.
ついに優勝した。
We finally won the championship.
2.
in the end, never
Used with negatives for 'never in the end'.
ついに会えなかった。
In the end, we never met.
ついに彼は来なかった。
In the end, he never came.
ついに謎が解けなかった。
In the end, the mystery was never solved.
ついに返事が来なかった。
In the end, no reply ever came.
ついに最後まで理由を教えてくれなかった。
In the end, they never told me the reason.
ついに indicates that something has finally happened after a long wait or extended effort.
TWO USAGE PATTERNS:
1. ついに + affirmative: finally achieved (after long effort/wait)
2. ついに + negative: never in the end (despite expectations)
EXAMPLES:
- ついに完成した: It was finally completed
- ついに来なかった: In the end, [they] never came
SIMILAR WORDS:
- ついに: finally (neutral, emphasizes long duration)
- とうとう: finally (nearly interchangeable with ついに)
- やっと: finally (emphasizes relief or difficulty)
- いよいよ: finally, at last (often with anticipation)
NUANCE:
ついに and とうとう are often interchangeable, but やっと carries more emotional relief. Use やっと when the speaker struggled to achieve something.
KANJI:
The kanji 遂に is sometimes used in formal writing, but hiragana ついに is more common.