connective N2 uncommon politewritten
〜あげく(に) — after ~ (and as an unfortunate result)
〜あげく(に) ・ あげく(に)
Builds on た形
Meaning
- after (much) ~, (in the end) ~ / ending up ~ — a long, troublesome process that finally results in a bad or regrettable outcome
Key sentence
長時間議論したあげく、結論は出なかった。
After arguing for hours, in the end no conclusion was reached.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (た-form) or Noun + の | V-た + あげく(に) / N + の + あげく(に)（intensified あげくの果てに） | 迷ったあげく / 口論のあげく |
When: Written and spoken; the result clause is negative or regrettable.
Examples
さんざん迷ったあげく、何も買わなかった。
After dithering endlessly, I ended up buying nothing.
口論のあげく、二人は別れてしまった。
After a quarrel, the two of them ended up splitting up.
When you can't use it
- The outcome must be negative or regrettable — a good result does not fit (use 末に). The process is prolonged and usually troublesome; a single quick action does not qualify.
Easily confused with
See 〜あげく(に) in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜あげく(に) the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.