JLPT N2 grammar
あげく vs 末に — Meaning & Examples
悩んだあげく (wasted effort, bad end) vs 悩んだ末に (effortful, outcome open — can be success). The exam's favourite confusion pair.
〜あげく（に）— The Exhausted Outcome
〜あげく（に）= "and after all that (bad thing happened)." It describes a long, troublesome process that ends in a disappointing or ironic result — the grammatical equivalent of a sigh.
Formation: verb-た form + あげく（に）, or noun + の + あげく（に）
何時間も悩んだあげく、結局買わなかった。
= After hours of agonising over it, in the end I didn't buy it.
長い間並んだあげくに、チケットは売り切れだった。
= After standing in line for a long time, the tickets ended up sold out.
Noun + の + あげく：
議論のあげく、何も決まらなかった。
= After all that arguing, nothing got decided.
The signature feel of あげく: effort was spent, and it was wasted or the result is ironic/disappointing. It almost never appears with a happy ending — if you catch yourself about to write something positive after あげく, you've picked the wrong pattern.
❌ 頑張ったあげく、合格した。 (success — wrong tone for あげく)
✅ 頑張った末に、合格した。 (use 末に instead — see next section)
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on あげく vs 末に. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 何時間も悩んだあげく、結局買わなかった means?
- After hours of thought, I bought it
- I bought it without thinking
- After hours of agonising, in the end I didn't buy it
- I never thought about buying it
Show answer
Answer: After hours of agonising, in the end I didn't buy it
〜あげく（に）= a long process ending in a disappointing/ironic result. Effort was spent and it didn't pay off.
2. Why is 頑張ったあげく、合格した unnatural?
- あげく needs a noun before it
- あげく almost never precedes a good outcome
- 合格する cannot take あげく
- It needs the て form
Show answer
Answer: あげく almost never precedes a good outcome
あげく carries an exasperated, usually negative charge. For a positive result after effort, use 末に: 頑張った末に、合格した。
3. 何度も失敗した末に、ついに成功した means?
- I succeeded without failing
- After failing many times, I gave up
- After failing many times, I finally succeeded
- I failed after succeeding
Show answer
Answer: After failing many times, I finally succeeded
〜末に is neutral about outcome and can be positive — unlike あげく, which cannot describe a success like this.
Practise あげく vs 末に in the free app
This point is part of the “😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N2 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N2 grammar points
From the same lesson: 😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで
Frequently asked questions
What does あげく vs 末に mean?
悩んだあげく (wasted effort, bad end) vs 悩んだ末に (effortful, outcome open — can be success). The exam's favourite confusion pair.
Is あげく vs 末に on the JLPT N2 test?
あげく vs 末に is taught in the JLPT N2 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise あげく vs 末に?
Open the “😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N2 mock exams, with no ads.