せっかく（せっかく）
JLPT N3 · noun
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, then stays high with no drop
Meaning: taking the trouble
Example sentences
- せっかく来たのに、店は閉まっていた。 — I went to all the trouble of coming, but the shop was closed.
- せっかくの休みを楽しむ。 — I'm enjoying this rare day off.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “せっかく” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)