やがて

Japanese

Alternative spellings
軈て 頓て

Etymology

/jamiɡate/ → */jamɡate/ → */jaŋɡate/ → /jaɡate/

Contraction of 止難(やみがて) (yamigate), compound of verb 止(や)む (yamu, “to stop”) + suffix 難(が)て (gate, “difficult”). First attested around the 10th century.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) やがて [yàgáté] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ja̠ɡa̠te̞]

Adverb

やがて • (yagate) 

1. eventually, finally, in the end

   Synonym: 結局 (kekkyoku)

   日(ひ)々(び)の努(ど)力(りょく)がやがて実(み)を結(むす)ぶ。

   Hibi no doryoku ga yagate mi o musubu.

   The effort that was put in every day eventually bear fruit.

2. not before long, soon

   私(わたし)はやがて30(さんじゅう)になる。

   Watashi wa yagate sanjū ni naru.

   I will soon be 30.

3. almost, nearly (usually with time phrases)

   最(さい)後(ご)に会(あ)ってからやがて一(いち)年(ねん)になる。

   Saigo ni atte kara yagate ichinen ni naru.

   It has been almost a year since we last met.

4. (archaic) as it is, unchanging
5. (archaic) immediately
6. (archaic) exactly