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Formation: V-た / N + の + かいがある (かいがあって, かいがあった); V-た / N + の + かいもなく; V-stem + がいがある (e.g. 教えがいがある)

かい (甲斐) is the reward or effect that effort brings. 〜かいがある or 〜かいがあって says the effort paid off and gives a sense of satisfaction. 〜かいもなく says the effort or hope came to nothing, so the main clause states a disappointing result in the past, and the tone is regretful. Joined to a verb stem as 〜がいがある (やりがい, 生きがい, 教えがい), it means the activity itself is rewarding. The pattern is common in both writing and speech, and かいもなく often appears in news reports and obituaries. Compared with the neutral 〜にもかかわらず, かいもなく is specifically about effort, care or hope going unrewarded. Compared with 〜おかげで, かいがあって stresses one's own effort rather than outside help.

Variants: 〜かいがあって、〜かいがない、〜かいもなく、〜甲斐、V-stem + がいがある

Examples

• 毎晩練習したかいがあって、試合に勝てた。
  Practising every night paid off: we won the match.
• 家族の懸命な看病のかいもなく、祖父は亡くなった。
  Despite the family's devoted care, my grandfather passed away.
• 苦労して登ったかいがあり、頂上からの眺めは格別だった。
  The hard climb was worth it; the view from the summit was exceptional.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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