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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

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