Wasted effort with せっかく〜のに
Grammar: Idiomatic & Emphatic Expressions
せっかく and のに are used together when great effort has been put into something, yet that effort may be going to waste.
Usage
The situation reflecting the effort appears between せっかく and のに.
Further Reading
- How to use せっかく (maggiesensei.com)
- Kamiya, Takeo. "Adverbs Expressing Circumstances." The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs, Kodansha, 2002, p. 191
