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〜に至って(ようやく)

only when it came to, only after it reached

Verb dictionary form / Noun + に至って(ようやく・初めて)

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に至って means "only when things reached this (extreme) point": 死者が出るに至って、ようやく国は対策を始めた, "only when people started dying did the government finally take action".

It's usually followed by ようやく, やっと or 初めて, and the tone is critical: someone should have acted much earlier. The first half describes a serious stage: deaths, bankruptcy, a lawsuit, a worsening illness.

It's a formal, emphatic relative of てはじめて (N3). 至る means "to reach", so it's literally "having reached as far as…".

There are two related patterns: に至るまで, "right down to", and に至っては, "as for (the most extreme case)".

Examples

  • 死者ししゃが出でるに至いたって、ようやく国くには対策たいさくを始はじめた。

    Only when people started dying did the government finally take action.

  • 事態じたいがここに至いたって、会社かいしゃはやっと非ひを認みとめた。

    Only when things came to this did the company finally admit fault.

  • 倒産寸前とうさんすんぜんに至いたって、社長しゃちょうはようやく改革かいかくに乗のり出だした。

    Only on the brink of bankruptcy did the president finally start reforms.

  • 病気びょうきが悪化あっかするに至いたって、初はじめて病院びょういんに行いった。

    Only when his illness got worse did he finally go to hospital.

  • 裁判さいばんになるに至いたって、相手あいてはようやく話はなし合あいに応おうじた。

    Only when it went to court did the other side finally agree to talk.

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