Translation guide
The English phrase "after all" has two main uses: (1) introducing a reason that justifies or explains something, often contradicting a previous assumption, and (2) indicating that something happened contrary to expectation. Japanese uses different expressions for each, and the choice depends on whether you are giving a reason or expressing a result.
To say 'after all' when giving a reason that explains or justifies a situation, often implying 'because of this obvious fact' or 'as one might expect given the circumstances'.
Casual, conversational way to give a reason, often used at the start of a sentence. It implies 'because' or 'after all' and is common in spoken Japanese.
After all, he's still a child.
Why aren't you going? After all, I don't have any money.
Used to emphasize a reason, similar to 'after all' or 'you see'. It often precedes a statement that explains or justifies something.
After all, it's my first trip abroad, so I'm nervous.
Formal or written way to introduce a reason, equivalent to 'because' or 'the reason is'. It can be used like 'after all' in explanatory contexts.
He is trustworthy. After all, he always keeps his promises.
Literally 'in the end' or 'after all', but used more for summarizing a conclusion rather than giving a reason. Can overlap with 'after all' when implying 'when all is said and done'.
After all, he didn't come. (In the end, he didn't come.)
To say 'after all' when something happens despite previous doubt or expectation, meaning 'in the end, it turned out that...' or 'actually, it did happen'.
The most common way to express 'after all' in the sense of 'as I thought' or 'contrary to what was expected'. It can indicate that the outcome matches one's original expectation or that something happened despite doubts.
I thought it would rain, and after all, it did.
Used when the final result is different from what was expected or when summarizing an outcome. It often translates to 'in the end' or 'after all'.
More formal version of やっぱり. Used in writing or formal speech to mean 'after all', 'as expected', or 'on second thought'.
Means 'however' or 'but', and can be used to introduce a contrary outcome, similar to 'after all' when expressing surprise. It emphasizes the unexpected result.
やっぱり (or やはり) is used when the result matches your expectation or when you change your mind back to the original idea. 結局 is more neutral and simply states the final outcome, often after a process or deliberation. For 'after all' in the sense of 'as expected', やっぱり is better. For 'in the end', 結局 is more common.
After all, he was the culprit. (As I suspected.)
After all, nobody came. (In the end, nobody came.)
The phrase 'after all' is not about time sequence. Do not translate it as 後で (あとで), which means 'later' or 'afterwards'. That is a common mistake.
I'll call you later. (NOT 'after all')
I thought I lost my keys, but after all they were in my pocket.
After all, he is the boss, so we should listen to him.
After all, he didn't come. (As I suspected, he didn't come.)
After all, he didn't come. (In the end, he didn't come.)
We considered many options, but after all, we went back to the original plan.
After all, what he said was true.
彼は来ないと言っていた。ところが、来た。
He said he wouldn't come. But after all, he did.