connective N1 uncommon written
〜甲斐もなく — despite (one's efforts)
〜甲斐もなく ・ かいもなく
Builds on 〜甲斐がある
Meaning
- despite ~ / for all one's ~, to no avail — the effort named did not pay off
Key sentence
看病の甲斐もなく、祖父は亡くなった。
Despite all our nursing, my grandfather passed away.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + の / Verb (past) + 甲斐もなく | [Nの / Vた] + 甲斐もなく + (disappointing outcome) | 努力の甲斐もなく |
When: The main clause is a disappointing or negative outcome — the effort was in vain.
Examples
必死に練習した甲斐もなく、一回戦で負けた。
For all my desperate practice, I lost in the first round.
説得の甲斐もなく、彼は会社を辞めてしまった。
Despite our efforts to persuade him, he went ahead and quit.
Easily confused with
Notes
- From 甲斐 'worth, effect' — literally 'without even the worth (of having done it).'
See 〜甲斐もなく in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜甲斐もなく the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.