Telling 「やっと」, 「ついに」, 「とうとう」 and 「ようやく」 Apart in Japanese

Telling 「やっと」, 「ついに」, 「とうとう」 and 「ようやく」 apart: all four mean “finally”.
So how do they differ? Let's find out!

🔴「やっと」漸と usually used in speech
🍀”Finally” managing something after a long time and after getting through many difficulties and trials (after all that hardship). It stresses the effort you put in beforehand

きつい練習を積み重ねてきた結果、やっと勝った。
After all that hard training, I finally won.

🍀“Finally” managing something in the middle of difficulty, haste or panic…

必死に走ってやっと最終バスに間に合った。
After running for my life, I finally made it onto the bus.

🍀 Not used in sentences with a negative sense
❌大好きな俳優のドラマが”やっと”終わりました。
The film with the actor I love has “finally” ended
👉 The sentence expresses regret, so やっと is not used here.

🔴「とうとう」到頭 usually used in speech
🍀“Finally” what you had long hoped for, through all the difficulties, has come true – or has not come true.

何ヶ月も頑張ってきた計画を、とうとう成し遂げることができた。
I have finally been able to finish the plan I had worked at for months.

ずっと待ち合わせていたが、とうとう来なかった。
I waited and waited, but in the end he/she did not come.

🍀Can be used in sentences with a negative sense

あの会社は赤字続きでした。そして、”とうとう”倒産してしまいました。(ついに works too, but ついに stresses the result more)
That company kept making losses. And in the end it went bankrupt.

🔴「ついに」終に 遂に 竟に usually used in writing
🍀”Finally”, after a long time, something has come to a result (regardless of whether you got through hardship and trials). It stresses the result

過酷な練習を積み重ねて、ついに大会で優勝することができた。
I trained hard and finally managed to win at the tournament.

🍀Can be used in sentences with a negative sense

彼はついに約束の時間に現れることはなかった。
In the end he did not keep the appointment.

🔴「ようやく」漸く usually used in writing
🍀“Finally” what you had always hoped for has come true

ようやくテストが終わったので、しばらくの間はゆっくりできた。
The test is finally over; I can rest a little.

🍀“Finally” managing something in the middle of difficulty, haste or panic… (like やっと, but leaning more towards writing)

約束していた時間にようやく間に合ったが、走ったので疲れてしまった。
Tired as I was from running, I finally made it in time for the appointment.

🍀“Finally” reaching some state

薬を飲んで寝ていたおかげで、ようやく体調が回復してきた。
I finally got my health back by taking medicine and having a good sleep.

We hope this post has helped us all understand a little better how 「やっと」・「ついに」・「とうとう」・「ようやく」 are used and how they differ ~
Source: Gaikokujin Navi

See also:
Compound Verbs in Japanese N2
100 Japanese Adverbs Common in the JLPT