adverbial N1 uncommon politewritten
案の定 — sure enough / just as expected / as feared
案の定 ・ あんのじょう
Meaning
- sure enough / just as expected — an outcome one anticipated (usually a bad one) has come to pass
Key sentence
急いで行ったが、案の定電車は出た後だった。
I hurried, but sure enough the train had already left.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb | 案の定 + clause (the confirmed outcome) | 案の定失敗した |
When: The anticipated result is usually negative or unwelcome — what one feared, now confirmed.
Examples
準備不足のまま挑んで、案の定負けた。
I took it on underprepared and, sure enough, lost.
怪しいと思っていたら、案の定詐欺だった。
I'd thought it was suspicious, and sure enough it was a scam.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 定 means 'as fixed/settled' — the thing one expected has turned out exactly so.
See 案の定 in real sentences
Jengo shows 案の定 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.