JLPT N1Written and spokenEmphatic

考かんがえに考かんがえて・待まちに待まったlong and hard; long-awaited

The same verb twice with に between: it went on and on, to the limit. Thought long and hard, ran and ran. 待まちに待まった before a noun is a fixed phrase, "long-awaited".

私わたしは考かんがえに考かんがえて、留りゅう学がくを一いち年ねん延えん期きすることにした。

After thinking long and hard, I decided to put off studying abroad for a year.

待まちに待まった新しん作さく映えい画がが、ついに公こう開かいされた。

The long-awaited new film is out at last.

How to form it

Verb ます-stem + に + the same verb

考かんがえます → 考かんがえに考かんがえて. The second verb takes the ending, nearly always て or た. Before a noun: 練ねりに練ねった計けい画かく.

Which verbs: Something that can go on and on: thinking, worrying, waiting, searching, running, crying. Not something over in a moment, and not a する verb.
After it: Often how it came out, with 末すえ or 結けっ果か: 考かんがえに考かんがえた末すえ.
Where you'll meet it: Novels, news features, speeches, sports reports. Spoken, it sounds like storytelling, apart from 待まちに待まった, which everybody says.

The ones you'll mostly meet

考かんがえに考かんがえて, and these. The set isn't closed: writers do make others.

待まちに待まったlong-awaited

待まちに待まった夏なつ休やすみが、明日あしたから始はじまる。

The summer vacation we've waited so long for starts tomorrow.

悩なやみに悩なやんでafter agonising over it

彼かれは悩なやみに悩なやんで、家か族ぞくに本ほん当とうのことを話はなした。

After agonising over it, he told his family the truth.

迷まよいに迷まよったtorn for a long time

迷まよいに迷まよった末すえ、彼かの女じょは転てん職しょくを決きめた。

After going back and forth for ages, she decided to change jobs.

探さがしに探さがしてsearching high and low

私わたしたちは町まちじゅうを探さがしに探さがして、ようやくその店みせを見みつけた。

We searched high and low all over town and finally found the shop.

走はしりに走はしったran and ran

終しゅう電でんに間まに合あうように、駅えきまで走はしりに走はしった。

I ran and ran to the station to catch the last train.

練ねりに練ねったworked over again and again

これは開かい発はつチームが練ねりに練ねった企き画かくだ。

This is a plan the development team has worked over again and again.

Close neighbours

に～を重かさねてN1

The same thing with a noun: 努ど力りょくに努ど力りょくを重かさねて. A する verb isn't said twice as a verb; its noun is, with を重かさねる.

計けい画かくは検けん討とうに検けん討とうを重かさねた末すえ、白はく紙しに戻もどされた。

After round upon round of review, the plan was scrapped.

ぬくN3

Keeping at something hard until you are all the way through it. The two are often said together: 考かんがえに考かんがえ抜ぬいた.

納なっ得とくできる答こたえが出でるまで、二人ふたりで考かんがえ抜ぬいた。

The two of us thought it through until we had an answer we could accept.

〜に行いくN5

A verb of going or coming after に, not the same verb again: what you go somewhere to do.

妹いもうとは友とも達だちと映えい画がを見みに行いきました。

My younger sister went to see a movie with a friend.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

学がく生せい時じ代だいは遊あそびに遊あそんだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which sentence sounds natural?

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

彼かれは悔くやしさのあまり、泣なきに泣ないた。

He was so bitterly disappointed that he cried and cried.

遅おくれに遅おくれた工こう事じが、ようやく完かん了りょうした。

The building work, delayed again and again, is finally finished.

Things that happen take it too.

この商しょう品ひんは発はつ売ばい以い来らい、売うれに売うれている。

This product has been flying off the shelves ever since it came out.

調ちょう査さ班はんは資し料りょうを調しらべに調しらべたが、決けっ定てい的てきな証しょう拠こは見みつからなかった。

The investigators went through the documents again and again, but found no conclusive evidence.