とうとう

• Reading: とうとう
• Romaji: toutou
• Pronunciation: /to.ɯ.to.ɯ/

Meaning

Finally; at last; in the end. Emphasises that something happened after a prolonged period.

An adverb similar to ついに but more colloquial and often used for outcomes that were inevitable. とうとう雨が降った (it finally rained — as expected). Commonly carries the nuance that the result was foreseeable. Can express both positive and negative outcomes but is especially natural with events that had been building up.

Examples

1. 雨がとうとう止んだ。 The rain finally stopped.
2. 彼女はとうとう怒ってしまった。 She ended up losing her temper.
3. とうとう最終電車に乗り遅れた。 I finally missed the last train.

Usage Guide

Context: outcomes, narrative, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Written 到頭 in kanji, where 到 means to arrive and 頭 means head/beginning. Together they suggest arriving at the very end — the final culmination of a process.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal