These three N2 patterns all relate to a "critical moment," but each captures a different scenario: あげく describes the final result of a long process, ことに frames the emotional trigger, and とたん catches the instant something changes.
あげく(に): After all that... finally
「あげく」means after going through a long process or struggle, a result is finally reached. The result is usually negative:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| やけ酒を飲んだあげく、道端で酔い潰れていた。 | After drowning his sorrows in drink, he ended up passed out on the street. |
| 長時間悩んだあげく、結局何も決められなかった。 | After agonizing for hours, I couldn't decide anything in the end. |
| 口論したあげく、二人は別れた。 | After quarreling, the two broke up. |
Connection: Verb た-form + あげく(に); noun + の + あげく(に)
Key Features
- The preceding clause is a long process or repeated struggle
- The following clause is usually a negative or regrettable outcome
- Carries a "went through all that trouble and this is what happened" nuance
- Occasionally used for positive results, but rare
ことに: To my [emotion]... (emotional framing)
「ことに」placed at the beginning first states the speaker's emotion, then reveals what caused it:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 悲しいことに、憧れていたあの有名人が結婚した。 | Sadly, the celebrity I admired got married. |
| 嬉しいことに、息子が大学に合格した。 | Happily, my son passed the university entrance exam. |
| 驚いたことに、10年ぶりに友人から連絡があった。 | Surprisingly, a friend contacted me after 10 years. |
Connection: Emotional adjective (嬉しい/悲しい/驚いた/残念な/不思議な) + ことに
Common Combinations
| Emotion | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 嬉しい | 嬉しいことに | Happily, ... |
| 悲しい | 悲しいことに | Sadly, ... |
| 驚いた | 驚いたことに | Surprisingly, ... |
| 残念な | 残念なことに | Unfortunately, ... |
とたん(に): The moment... instantly
「とたん」means the instant an action is completed, something else immediately happens, emphasizing the tight connection between two events:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 正直に話を打ち明けたとたん、相手は顔色を変えた。 | The moment I confessed honestly, their expression changed. |
| ドアを開けたとたん、猫が飛び出してきた。 | The moment I opened the door, the cat dashed out. |
| 薬を飲んだとたん、気持ちが楽になった。 | The moment I took the medicine, I felt better. |
Connection: Verb た-form + とたん(に)
とたん vs たら
| Comparison | とたん | たら |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Instantaneous | Sequential |
| Nuance | Unexpected | Neutral |
| Volition | Non-volitional result only | Any result |
とたん cannot be followed by volitional actions (like "I decided to...") — only natural or unexpected events.
Three Patterns Compared
| Pattern | Core | Preceding clause | Following clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| あげく | After all that... | Long process | Final result (often negative) |
| ことに | To my [emotion]... | Emotion word | Event causing emotion |
| とたん | The instant... | Momentary action | Immediate consequence |
Summary
- あげく = after a long process, finally... (usually negative outcome)
- ことに = to my [emotion]... (emotion first, event second)
- とたん = the instant something happened... (tight connection, non-volitional)
Practice
1. Complete with あげく:
何時間も話し合った____、結論は出なかった。
Show answer
何時間も話し合ったあげく、結論は出なかった。 After discussing for hours, no conclusion was reached. (long process + negative result)
2. Complete with ことに:
____、彼は試験に落ちた。
Show answer
残念なことに、彼は試験に落ちた。 Unfortunately, he failed the exam. (残念な + ことに)
3. Why can't「座ったとたん、電話が鳴った」simply be replaced with「座ったら」?
Show answer
Grammatically たら works too, but the nuance differs:
- とたん: "The very instant I sat down, the phone rang" — tight timing, unexpected
- たら: "After I sat down, the phone rang" — neutral sequence とたん is more vivid and emphasizes the surprise element.