Learn Hardcore Japanese: ibento ni mousikomuno ga okureta noni, aki ga atte yokatta. - Even though I applied late for the event, there was availability, which was good.

のに means “even though/ despite,” and it highlights a result that goes against expectation. It often carries a feeling of “surprisingly” or even “frustratingly,” depending on context.

遅れたのに、空きがあってよかった。 = “Even though I was late, I’m glad there was space.” (unexpectedly good outcome)
けど is a milder “but/though” and doesn’t strongly imply surprise.
が is a more formal or written-style “but,” often weaker than のに in expressing the “contrary to expectation” nuance.

You could say 遅れたけど here; it’s just less emphatic than のに. For very formal writing, にもかかわらず is another option.

There are two の: 申し込むのが … 遅れたのに. Are they the same の?

No. They’re different:

The first の (in 申し込むの) nominalizes the verb clause “apply” so it can function as a noun/subject.
The second の is part of the conjunction のに (“even though”).

So the structure is: [イベントに申し込むの] が [遅れた] のに …

Why is it 申し込むの and not 申し込み or 申し込むこと?

申し込むの: Verb nominalized with の. Very natural in speech for “the act of applying.”
申し込み: Noun “application.” Also natural: イベントへの申し込みが遅れた.
申し込むこと: More formal/abstract. In this specific “be late” pattern, こと sounds stiff or less idiomatic. Prefer 申し込むの or 申し込み.

All of these can work, but the most conversational here is the original with の.

What is the role of が in 申し込むのが遅れた?

が marks the grammatical subject of the verb 遅れた. Literally: “The applying to the event was late.” The whole clause then feeds into のに.

Can I drop the first の and say 申し込むが遅れた?

No. You need a noun-like subject before が. Without の (or a noun like 申し込み), 申し込むが遅れた is ungrammatical. Correct options:

申し込むのが遅れた
申し込みが遅れた

Why is 遅れた in the past tense?

Because the lateness already happened. In concessive clauses with のに, you use the appropriate tense for that clause. Here, “was late” (past) contrasts with the later relief about availability.

What exactly does 空き mean? Is it different from 空いている?

空き (あき) is a noun meaning “vacancy/opening/availability.” Common patterns:

空きがある／ない = “there is/there isn’t an opening”
席が空いている = “a seat is free” (adjectival verb phrase) Use 空き when you talk about “openings” in the abstract; use 空いている to describe a specific thing as unoccupied (seat, room, time slot).

Why 空きが and not 空きを with ある?

Existential verbs ある/いる take が for the thing that exists. So it’s 空きがある (“there is an opening”), not 空きをある.

What’s the job of あって in 空きがあってよかった?

It’s the て-form of ある, linking the existence to the feeling:

Pattern: [X があって] + よかった = “I’m glad there was X.” More generally: Vて + よかった expresses relief/satisfaction about a completed event.

Why is it よかった (past) instead of いい (present)?

Vてよかった is a set expression meaning “I’m glad that V happened/was the case.” The past form よかった reflects that you evaluate a past occurrence and feel relief now. For negatives: Vなくてよかった = “I’m glad (that) didn’t happen.”

Could I say 空きがあってうれしい instead of よかった?

Yes, but nuance changes:

うれしい = “happy,” more about direct emotion.
よかった = “I’m glad/relieved it turned out okay,” a bit more about the situation’s favorable outcome. Other near-synonyms: 空きがあって助かった (“that saved me”), 安心した (“I felt relieved”).

Why is it イベントに申し込む? Can I ever use を with 申し込む?

申し込む has two common patterns:

Target/destination: Nに申し込む (イベントに、会社に、講座に)
The thing you request/apply for: Nを申し込む (参加を、融資を、入会を) So:
イベントに申し込む = apply to the event (target)
イベントへの参加を申し込む = apply for participation (the action requested) Avoid イベントを申し込む, which is unnatural because the event itself is not the “requested action.”

Could I use けど or が instead of のに here?

Yes:

遅れたけど、空きがあってよかった。 (neutral “but”)
遅れたが、空きがあってよかった。 (more formal/written) They’re both fine but lack the stronger “despite (unexpectedly)” flavor of のに. For formal “despite,” use にもかかわらず.

Is のに only used for complaints?

No. It often appears in complaints (A のに B! = “Even though A, [frustration] B”), but it can also introduce pleasantly surprising outcomes, like in this sentence. The shared idea is “contrary to expectation,” whether positive or negative.

Can I say 遅くなった instead of 遅れた?

Usually no, not here. 遅れる is the verb used for delays (“be delayed”), which matches “the application was late.” 遅くなる is more about “becoming late” in time, often used with apologies (e.g., 遅くなってすみません). For applications/schedules, stick with 遅れる.

Is the comma before 空き necessary? Can I reorder the clauses?

The comma is just a natural pause; you can omit it in plain text. Clause order is typically:

[Concessive clause]、Reversing it is possible but sounds awkward here; the concessive clause usually comes first.

How would I make the sentence more polite or show regret about being late?

Polite: イベントに申し込むのが遅れたのに、空きがあってよかったです。
Add regret: イベントに申し込むのが遅れてしまったのに、空きがあってよかったです。 (〜てしまった adds “unfortunately/accidentally.”)

What are some formal or alternative connectors to のに?

にもかかわらず (formal): 申し込むのが遅れたにもかかわらず、空きがあってよかった。
ものの (written): 申し込むのが遅れたものの、空きがあってよかった。
〜ても (even if/though): 遅れても、空きがあってよかった (slightly different nuance; more hypothetical).

Could I rewrite using the noun 申し込み?

Yes:

イベントへの申し込みが遅れたのに、空きがあってよかった。 This shifts focus to “the application” as a thing, but the meaning and tone are the same.

Do Japanese speakers usually omit “I” in a sentence like this?

Yes. The subject “I” is understood from context. If you need to be explicit, you can add 私は at the start, but it’s often unnecessary:

私はイベントに申し込むのが遅れたのに、空きがあってよかった。