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N2

た末・の末

たすえ・のすえ

After, As a conclusion of

色々いろいろと考かんがえた末すえに、お父とうさんの会社かいしゃを継つぐことに決きめた。

After much thought, I decided to take over my father's company.

Explanation

「〜た末(に)/〜の末(に)」 means 'after a long process of thinking, arguing or struggling, finally...'. It stresses that the process was not easy: 「散々悩んだ末に、会社を辞める決心をした」 (After agonizing a lot, I decided to quit the company), 「激しい議論の末、新しい方針が決まった」 (After a heated debate, a new policy was decided). The result can be good or bad. It follows the verb's た form, or 「noun+の」.

Mixed up with

「あげく(に)」: the result is always bad; after all that fuss it still went wrong.

「末(に)」: the result can be good or bad; the point is that it came after long thought or many twists.

Examples

  1. 迷まよいに迷まよった末すえに、彼女かのじょと別わかれることにした。

    After much hesitation, I decided to break up with her.

  2. 何度なんども手術しゅじゅつとリハビリを繰くり返かえした末すえに、ようやく試合しあいに復帰ふっきできた。

    After going through surgery and rehab again and again, I was finally able to compete again.

  3. 5年ごねん間かんにわたる争あらそいの末すえ、アメリカ軍ぐんが撤退てったいを開始かいしした。

    After five years of conflict, the U.S. military began to withdraw.

Tested 5 times in past papers

N2 · Dec 2019, Q31N1 · Jul 2017, Q32N2 · Jul 2016, Q36N2 · Jul 2013, Q34N2 · Jul 2011, Q34