JLPT N3Spoken and writtenOften a letdown

結けっ局きょくin the end; after all

After effort, doubt or a lot of talk, 結けっ局きょく tells how things turned out, often not as you hoped. It is "in the end", not "in short".

昨日きのう、健けん太たはあとで電でん話わすると言いっていたが、結けっ局きょくかかってこなかった。

Yesterday Kenta said he would call later, but in the end he never did.

行いくかどうか迷まよったけど、結けっ局きょく行いかなかった。

I couldn't decide whether to go, and in the end I didn't.

How to use it

what came before + 結けっ局きょく + how it turned out

An adverb. It opens the sentence or the half that gives the ending, often after が or けど: 迷まよったけど、結けっ局きょく…. It can also follow the topic: 彼かれは結けっ局きょく来こなかった.

Before it: A plan, an attempt, a wait, a long talk, a lot of going back and forth.
After it: The ending. Often a letdown: it didn't happen, nothing was decided. A good ending fits too when there was doubt first: 結けっ局きょく、間まに合あった, "I made it in the end".
Where you'll meet it: Conversation and writing alike.

In use

二に時じ間かん話はなし合あったが、結けっ局きょく何なにも決きまらなかった。

We talked it over for two hours, but in the end nothing was decided.

いろいろ調しらべたけど、結けっ局きょくいつもの店みせにした。

I looked into all sorts of places, but in the end I went with the usual one.

結けっ局きょく、追つい加か料りょう金きんを払はらう必ひつ要ようはなかった。

In the end, there was no need to pay an additional fee.

Good news, after some doubt.

結けっ局きょく、どうなったの？

So what happened in the end?

How you ask for the end of a story.

Not "in short"

English "in short" hands over the gist of what you have just said. 結けっ局きょく doesn't shorten anything. What follows it is new: where things ended up. For the gist, it is 要ようするに or つまり.

説せつ明めいを一いち時じ間かん聞きいたが、結けっ局きょくよく分わからなかった。

I listened to the explanation for an hour, but in the end I didn't really understand it.

How it turned out.

説せつ明めいは長ながかったが、要ようするに、料りょう金きんが上あがるということだ。

The explanation was long, but in short, the price is going up.

The gist of what was said.

A test: if "after all that" fits in front, it is 結けっ局きょく.

結けっ局きょくのところ

結けっ局きょくのところ is "when all is said and done": where you end up once everything has been weighed. 結けっ局きょくは says the same.

結けっ局きょくのところ、自じ分ぶんで決きめるしかない。

When all is said and done, you have to decide for yourself.

どっちを選えらんでも、結けっ局きょくは同おなじだ。

Whichever you choose, it's the same in the end.

結けっ局きょく、何なにが言いいたいの？

So what are you trying to say, in the end?

Impatient. 要ようするに asks much the same here.

Close neighbours

要ようするにN2

"In short": boils down what has been said to its one point.

予よ算さんは減へり、納のう期きは早はやまり、人じん員いんも増ふえません。要ようするに、計けい画かくを縮しゅく小しょうする必ひつ要ようがあります。

The budget is smaller, the deadline is earlier, and there will be no additional staff. In short, we need to scale back the plan.

つまりN3

"In other words": the same thing said another way. Nothing has to have happened first.

店みせは土ど曜よう日びと日にち曜よう日びだけ営えい業ぎょうしている。つまり、平へい日じつは休やすみだ。

The store is open only on Saturdays and Sundays. In other words, it is closed on weekdays.

やっと・ついに・とうとうN4

"Finally", "at last": it happened after a long time. 結けっ局きょく doesn't say you were waiting for it.

一いち時じ間かん待まって、やっと友ともだちが来きた。

After an hour's wait, my friend finally came.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

夜よるまで待まったが、（　　）連れん絡らくは来こなかった。

Choose an answer to see why.

2A friend says this about the trip her family had been planning. What is she telling you?

結けっ局きょく、旅りょ行こうは中ちゅう止しになった。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

怖こわくて、結けっ局きょくその洞どう窟くつには入はいってみなかった。

I was scared, so in the end I didn't try going into the cave.

店みせを何なん軒げんも回まわったあげく、結けっ局きょく何なにも買かわなかった。

After going around store after store, I ended up buying nothing.

あげく, "after all that", often leads into 結けっ局きょく.

結けっ局きょく、私わたしが受うけ付つけを担たん当とうすることにはならなかった。

In the end, I wasn't put in charge of reception.