The height of: 〜の至り
名詞 + の至り
Noun + の至り = “to the highest degree”: fixed, very polite formulas (光栄の至り, 恐縮の至り), plus 若気の至り, “youthful folly”.
In short
X の至り means “the highest degree of X”. It's a fixed construction of very polite speeches and letters, with a small list of nouns: 光栄の至り (a great honour), 感激の至り (deeply moved), 恐縮の至り (deeply embarrassed), 赤面の至り and 汗顔の至り (red with shame). Apart: 若気の至り, “youthful folly”. Very formal register.
- このような賞をいただき、光栄の至りです。このようなしょうをいただき、こうえいのいたりです。Receiving such an award is a great honour for me.
- 皆様に温かく迎えていただき、感激の至りでございます。みなさまにあたたかくむかえていただき、かんげきのいたりでございます。I am deeply touched by your warm welcome.
- あの頃の失敗は、若気の至りだった。あのころのしっぱいは、わかげのいたりだった。The mistakes I made back then were youthful folly.
The basics
至る means “to arrive at, to reach”. 至り is the end point, the summit. X の至り = “X taken to its height”. In practice, it isn't a free construction: it's a small set of politeness formulas, spoken in thank-you speeches or written in letters.
Receiving this award is a great honour for me.
- noun
- verb
- grammatical form
- 賞をいただき、光栄の至りです。しょうをいただき、こうえいのいたりです。Receiving this award is a great honour for me.
- 大先輩からお褒めの言葉をいただき、恐縮の至りです。だいせんぱいからおほめのことばをいただき、きょうしゅくのいたりです。Receiving compliments from such a distinguished senior leaves me quite embarrassed.
A closed list
Remember these few formulas: you can't freely create “うれしさの至り” or “失礼の至り”.
| Formula | Meaning | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| 光栄の至り | a great honour | receiving an award, an invitation |
| 感激の至り | deeply moved | a welcome, support |
| 恐縮の至り | deeply embarrassed | a compliment, a favour received |
| 赤面の至り／汗顔の至り | red with shame | a mistake, a blunder |
| 若気の至り | youthful folly | excusing the past |
- このような初歩的な誤りを犯し、汗顔の至りです。このようなしょほてきなあやまりをおかし、かんがんのいたりです。Making such an elementary mistake makes me blush with shame.
The register of speeches
These formulas naturally go with keigo: いただき, でございます, 存じます. 若気の至り is the exception: it's an everyday expression, used even in speech to excuse past foolishness (若気の至りで…).
- 若気の至りで、親にずいぶん心配をかけたものです。わかげのいたりで、おやにずいぶんしんぱいをかけたものです。With my youthful follies, I caused my parents a great deal of worry.
の至り, の極み, 極まりない
の極み (“the height”) is freer and used with more nouns, positive or negative (ぜいたくの極み, 痛恨の極み). 極まりない follows a な-adjective and is mainly critical. の至り stays confined to formulas of polite emotion.
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜の至り | fixed formulas, polite emotion | 光栄の至りです |
| 〜の極み | height, a more open list | ぜいたくの極み |
| 〜極まりない | criticism of a な-adjective | 失礼極まりない |
- 決勝で負けたのは、痛恨の極みだ。けっしょうでまけたのは、つうこんのきわみだ。Losing in the final is the bitterest of regrets.
Common mistakes
- Creating new formulas: の至り is only used with a few nouns (光栄, 感激, 恐縮, 赤面, 汗顔, 若気).
- Using 光栄の至り in relaxed conversation: it's a speech formula.
- Reading 若気 as “わかき”: it's わかげ.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Hokuriku Line (Arts and crafts) of the Shinkansen.