案の定 (An no Jou): The Ultimate "I Knew It!" Phrase for the Experienced

Have you ever looked at a sky full of dark clouds and thought, "It's definitely going to rain," and 5 minutes later, it's pouring? 🌧️

Or when your notoriously forgetful friend promises not to be late, you have a bad feeling... and sure enough, they show up 30 minutes late? 🤦‍♀️

In those moments when your bad premonitions become reality, the Japanese have a 'divine' word to describe it: 案の定 (あんのじょう - an no jou).

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🤔 How is 案の定 different from やっぱり？

This is the key point! Both can be translated as "just as I thought," but their nuances are completely different:

• やっぱり (Yappari) / やはり (Yahari): Used for both GOOD and BAD outcomes. It simply confirms a thought or judgment you had.

  Example: 「やっぱりこのラーメンは美味しい！」 (Just as I thought, this ramen is delicious!)

• 案の定 (An no Jou): Almost ONLY used for BAD, NEGATIVE, or UNDESIRABLE outcomes. It carries the nuance of "I knew it," "Just as I feared," or "As I was worried."

In other words, using 「案の定」 for a happy event would sound very strange. No one says: 「案の定、試験に合格した！」(Just as I feared, I passed the exam!). 😅

💡 Let's look at some examples to make it clearer!

Scenario 1: At Work 🏢

Your boss assigns you an impossible task, and you already knew you couldn't meet the deadline.

「締め切りに間に合わないと思っていたら、案の定、終わらなかった。」 (I thought I wouldn't make the deadline, and just as I expected, I didn't finish it.)

Scenario 2: Daily Life 🏠

You see your child playing mischievously near a vase and have a bad feeling.

「危ないと思っていたら、案の定、息子が花瓶を割ってしまった。」 (I knew it was dangerous, and just as I feared, my son broke the vase.)

Scenario 3: Relationships 💔

Your partner is known for being forgetful and promised not to forget your anniversary, but you have a feeling...

「彼は忘れないって言ってたけど…案の定、忘れてた。」 (He said he wouldn't forget, but... just as I expected, he forgot.)

✨ Usage Tip

案の定 is often placed at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma, to describe an undesirable outcome that happened just as predicted.

This is an extremely "valuable" word that helps you express your understanding of the situation and your predictive ability (even for unhappy events). It shows that you are not naive, but have "foreseen" the event.

Next time your bad feeling is sadly accurate, instead of just sighing, try using 案の定 to express your "experience"! 😉