せっかく details
write + (past) + after all that trouble — the effort or the rare chance cost something, and the sentence goes on to waste it or to cash it in
sekkaku kaita noni
after all that trouble — the effort or the rare chance cost something, and the sentence goes on to waste it or to cash it in
meaning: even though I went to the trouble of writing
せっかく予約したのに、当日は大雨だった。
sekkaku yoyakushita noni, toujitsu wa ooame datta.
It poured with rain on the day, even though I went to the trouble of booking. neutral
せっかく京都まで来たのだから、一泊していこう。
sekkaku kyouto made kita no da kara, ippaku shite ikou.
Since we've come all the way to Kyoto, let's stay the night. neutral
- た-form
- た-form
- noun
- colloquial
Examples
after going to the trouble — the effort or the chance is named as costly, then reported wasted
せっかく予約したのに、当日は大雨だった。
sekkakuyoyakushitanoni, toujitsu wa ooame datta.
It poured with rain on the day, even though I went to the trouble of booking. neutral
せっかくの休みなのに、朝から雨だ。
sekkaku no yasumi na noni, asa kara ame da.
A precious day off, and it's been raining since morning. casual
せっかく作ってくれたのに、残してしまってごめん。
sekkaku tsukutte kureta noni, nokoshite shimatte gomen.
You went to the trouble of making it and I left some — sorry. casual
since the chance is here — the same cost, cashed in instead of wasted
せっかく京都まで来たのだから、一泊していこう。
sekkaku kyouto made kita no da kara, ippaku shite ikou.
Since we've come all the way to Kyoto, let's stay the night. neutral
せっかくご用意いただいたのですから、ありがたく頂戴いたします。
sekkaku go youi itadaita no desu kara, arigataku choudai itashimasu.
Since you have gone to the trouble of preparing it, I will gratefully accept. formal
Formation
せっかく{V-ta}のにattaches to た-formせっかく{V-ta}のだからattaches to た-formせっかくの{N}attaches to noun
Variant notes
- せっかくだから — frozen, with no clause of its own — "while we're at it, let's make it count"; the polite せっかくですから does the same work in a shop or an office.
Related patterns
Similar
Both get translated "since you're here anyway", and they reverse each other — ついでに makes the second act incidental and free, riding on an errand already being run, while せっかく says the act cost something and must not go to waste.
甲斐がある judges an effort after the fact and says it paid off; せっかく marks the cost before the outcome is known, and its commonest tail (のに) goes on to report that it did not.
Combines with
のに supplies the clash and せっかく supplies the cost — せっかく作ったのに calls the outcome a waste, where a bare 作ったのに only notes that things went the other way.