Learn Hardcore Japanese: sekkaku kyouto made kitano ni, hakubutukan ga yasumi de sukosi zannen datta. - Even though I came all the way to Kyoto, the museum was closed, so I was a little disappointed.

Word

せっかく　京都きょうと　まで　来きたの　に、　博物館はくぶつかん　が　休やすみ　で　少すこし　残念ざんねん　だった。sekkaku kyouto made kitano ni, hakubutsukan ga yasumi de sukoshi zannen datta.

Meaning

Even though I came all the way to Kyoto, the museum was closed, so I was a little disappointed.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Lesson

Breakdown of sekkaku kyouto made kitano ni, hakubutsukan ga yasumi de sukoshi zannen datta.

What does せっかく mean here, and why is it used?

せっかく adds the idea of making a special effort or going to the trouble of doing something.

So in this sentence, it suggests something like:

It often appears when the result is disappointing or does not match expectations, which fits well with のに later in the sentence.

Why is まで used after 京都?

In 京都まで来た, まで means as far as or all the way to.

It emphasizes the distance or effort involved:

So まで helps support the feeling created by せっかく: the speaker made a real effort to get there.

Is 来たのに made of 来た + の + に?

In this sentence, it is best to treat のに as a single grammar pattern attached to the plain form of the verb:

Here, のに means even though, although, or despite the fact that.

So this is not the explanatory の followed separately by に. It is the set expression のに.

What nuance does add here?