Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 5: 8/18

挙句(あげく)After, In the end, After all, Eventually

Kanji Reading: 挙げ句 or 挙句

Structure

Verb［た］+ あげく + (に) + (Past Tense) (Result)

Verb［た］+ あげく + の + Noun

Noun + の possession + あげく + (に) + (Past Tense) (Result)

Details

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About あげく

挙句(あげく) 'in the end', is a noun used in Japanese to express a negative result that occurs, despite a considerable amount of time, effort, or resources that was put into (A). あげく will often be used in situations where the escalating situation of (A) somehow caused or prompted the negative result of (B).

あげく will appear after the past-tense form of verbs, or after nouns followed by の.

Alternatively, あげく may be used to express some sort of troublesome or negative process that led to the conclusion of (B). In these cases, the outcome itself may not be undesirable, but arriving at that result of (B) somehow was.

Caution

あげく will most often be in hiragana, but the forms 挙句(あげく) and 挙(あ)げ句(く) are also quite common.

Fun-fact

挙句(あげく) originally referred to the final line of a 連歌(れんが) (a form of early Japanese poetry), and literally means 'the tying up phrase', or 'the concluding phrase'.

Examples

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    走(はし)って転(ころ)んだ挙(あ)げ句(く)に、壁(かべ)に衝突(しょうとつ)した。

    After running and falling, I crashed into a wall.

    さんざん泣(な)いた挙(あ)げ句(く)、彼女(かのじょ)は眠(ねむ)ってしまった。

    After crying a lot she fell asleep.

    数(すう)回(かい)追(お)い越(こ)した挙(あ)げ句(く)に、ドライバーはガードレールにぶつかってしまった。

    After overtaking a few times, the driver hit the guardrail.

    お酒(さけ)を飲(の)んで泥酔(でいすい)した挙(あ)げ句(く)に、財布(さいふ)を盗(と)られた。

    After drinking alcohol and getting drunk, I had my wallet stolen.

    さんざん考(かんが)えた挙(あ)げ句(く)に親(おや)の意(い)に反(はん)して大学(だいがく)を辞(や)めた。

    After considering it thoughtfully I have quit university against wishes of my parents.

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あげく – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (2 in total)

  • Pep95

    Pep95

    How would the noun version work?

    “After school, we went to the park” or something?

  • Fuga

    Fuga

    Hey @Pep95 !

    Nouns used with あげく are nouns that are する verbs, so normal nouns will not work with this grammar point.

    For example, 泥酔したあげくに、財布を盗られた, is the verb form, but since 泥酔 is a noun, the sentence can be changed to 泥酔のあげくに、財布を盗られた.
    We hope that answers your question!

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