やっと (finally / at last)

• Reading: やっと
• Romaji: yatto
• Formation: やっと + Verb（past tense / potential form）

Meaning

An adverb indicating that something desirable has finally been achieved after a long wait, sustained effort, or difficulty. It conveys 'finally,' 'at last,' or 'barely managed to.'

やっと expresses relief and satisfaction that something the speaker wanted has finally come to pass. It always implies a positive outcome from the speaker's perspective and a period of waiting or struggle beforehand. Unlike ついに and とうとう which can describe both positive and negative outcomes, やっと is exclusively for desirable results. It can also mean 'barely' when describing a narrow achievement (e.g., 'barely passed'). The emotional tone is one of relief mixed with a sense of accomplishment.

Examples

1. やっと夏休みが始まった。 Summer vacation has finally started.
2. 三時間待って、やっとバスが来た。 After waiting three hours, the bus finally came.
3. やっと日本語能力試験に合格できた。 I was finally able to pass the Japanese proficiency test.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: relieved

Do Say

• やっと仕事が終わった、帰ろう。
• やっと彼女の名前を思い出した。
• 何度も練習して、やっとできるようになった。

Don't Say

• やっと財布を落としてしまった。(やっと cannot be used for undesirable outcomes) → とうとう財布を落としてしまった。
• やっと電車が遅れた。(やっと implies a positive result; train delays are negative) → とうとう電車が遅れた。

Origin & History

やっと is believed to derive from an onomatopoeic or emphatic expression conveying the sense of straining effort. It has been used since the Edo period to express the achievement of something after prolonged difficulty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal