に関して

Regarding/concerning

Level 3Sounds Like nikanshite

に関して is a formal way to say 'regarding' or 'concerning.' It is primarily used in business, academic, and official contexts to mark a broad topic or subject.

How It Works

に関して（にかんして） is a formal compound particle used to indicate the theme of a sentence. It is the standard choice for professional environments, news reports, and research papers.

1. Connection Rule:

  • [Noun] + に関して
  • [Verb/Clause] + こと / 〜か / かどうか + に関して (e.g., 誰が責任を取るかに関して / regarding who will take responsibility)

2. Grammatical Forms:

  • に関して (Adverbial): Used to modify a verb or the entire clause. The verbs that follow are typically related to acquiring, processing, or expressing information (e.g., 調べる/investigate, 話す/speak, 説明する/explain, 質問する/ask, 考える/think).
  • に関する / に関しての (Prenominal): Used to modify a noun directly using the formula [Noun A] に関する [Noun B]. Note that に関する is overwhelmingly more common than に関しての. Example: 「歴史に関する本」 (A book concerning history). Crucially, while に関して changes to に関する to modify a noun, について must take の (についての) and cannot become につく (e.g., 〇 歴史についての本 / ❌ 歴史につく本).
  • に関しまして: The extra-polite version used in business emails or formal speeches.
  • に関し: A stiff, written continuative form often found in news or formal reports.

3. Contrastive and Additive Use (に関しては / に関しても):
When the particle は is added (に関しては), it creates a contrastive nuance. It highlights a specific topic to provide information about it while implying that other topics might be different. Example: 「この点に関しては問題ありません」 (Regarding this point [at least], there are no problems). When the particle も is added (に関しても), it means 'also regarding...' or 'concerning... as well'.

4. Nuance and Scope:
While に関して suggests a wider range of related information compared to について, they are functionally interchangeable in most formal contexts. For example, 'regarding the accident' might include the cause, the victims, and future safety measures. Additionally, do not confuse it with に対して (towards a target). For example, 「客に関して話す」 means 'to talk about the customer', whereas 「客に対して丁寧だ」 means 'to be polite towards the customer'.

5. Usage Restrictions:

  • Personal Facts: It is not used for simple personal facts (like your age).
  • Casual Contexts: It is considered too stiff for casual daily conversation.

Examples (5)

  1. この問題に関して、何かご意見はありますか。

    Do you have any opinions regarding this issue?

    Word by Word: This problem regarding, any opinions (polite) exist?

    This is a standard formal way to ask for input on a specific topic in a meeting.

  2. 当社は個人情報の保護に関する法令を遵守します。

    Our company complies with laws and regulations concerning the protection of personal information.

    Word by Word: Our-company topic personal-information 's protection concerning laws-and-regulations object-marker comply.

    Here, に関する modifies the noun 法令（ほうれい） (laws/regulations). This is typical legal or corporate phrasing.

  3. 政府は新しい税制に関し、詳細を発表した。

    The government announced details regarding the new tax system.

    Word by Word: Government topic new tax-system regarding, details object-marker announced.

    This example uses に関し（にかんし）, the continuative form, which is common in formal written reports and news.

  4. 日本の方言に関して研究しています。

    I am conducting research regarding Japanese dialects.

    Word by Word: Japan 's dialects regarding research doing am.

    に関して is the preferred choice when discussing academic research or formal study.

  5. 新しいプロジェクトに関しまして、ご報告いたします。

    I will provide a report regarding the new project.

    Word by Word: New project regarding (polite), report (humble) do.

    に関しまして is the polite form used in business correspondence or formal presentations.

Common Mistakes

  • Using it in casual conversation with friends.

    昨日の晩ご飯に関して話そう。
    昨日の晩ご飯について話そう。

    に関して is too formal for talking about dinner with friends. Use について or のこと instead.

  • Confusing it with に対して (towards/against).

    お客様に関して丁寧な言葉を使います。
    お客様に対して丁寧な言葉を使います。

    に関して means "regarding" or "about," while に対して means "towards" a target. When directing an action, attitude, or behavior at someone, you must use に対して.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

に関してLevel 3Regarding/concerning

Learn This First

に関して is a formal expression meaning 'regarding' or 'concerning'. It functions similarly to the more common 'について' but is used in professional, academic, or official contexts. To understand it, you should already be familiar with the basic topic-marking function of 'について' and the target particle 'に'.

Words in This Pattern

に関して