All JLPT grammar
N1

Verb たら最後

Expresses that once a certain action happens, the situation changes irreversibly, usually in a negative way.

At a glance

〜たら最後さいご means "once (something) happens, there is no going back". It says that after one action, a situation follows that cannot be stopped or undone, usually a bad one.

Verb た-form + ら最後、[result that can't be stopped or undone]

彼かれは飲のみ始はじめたら最後さいご、朝あさまで止とまらない。 Once he starts drinking, he doesn't stop until morning.


How to form it

Make the verb's た-form, then add ら最後さいご. This is the same as the たら conditional plus 最後さいご.

Verb group Dictionary form たら最後 form
う-verb 飲のむ 飲のんだら最後さいご
う-verb 言いう 言いったら最後さいご
る-verb 食たべる 食たべたら最後さいご
する サインする サインしたら最後さいご
来る 来くる 来きたら最後さいご

Register: relatively colloquial and common in conversation. The variant 〜たが最後さいご means the same thing and is more literary.

Examples

  • このゲームを始はじめたら最後さいご、時間じかんの経たつのを忘わすれてしまいます。

    Once you start this game, you completely lose track of time.

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The rest of the lesson

When to use it, common mistakes, nuances and a quick check, with spaced repetition to make it stick.

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