What it means
やっと means “at last” or “finally.” It shows that something happened only after a long wait, repeated effort, difficulty, or delay. It usually comes before the predicate and often describes the completion of an expected action.
Usage note
やっと emphasizes relief or the difficulty of reaching the result. It is different from とうとう, which mainly means that an expected result finally occurred and does not always emphasize the effort or delay.
How to use it
私たちはやっと駅に着きました。
We finally arrived at the station.
私たちはやっと駅に着いた。
We finally arrived at the station.
Example sentences
長い修理の後で、やっとエアコンが動きました。
After a long repair, the air conditioner finally started working.
何度も練習して、やっと漢字を正しく書けました。
After practicing many times, I was finally able to write the kanji correctly.
三時間かけて、やっと部屋の鍵を見つけました。
After spending three hours, I finally found the key to my room.