Japanese Grammar: から〜にかけて (kara 〜 ni kakete)

Japanese Grammar: から〜にかけて (kara 〜 ni kakete)
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

From… to… / Through… (covering a range)

🎯 Primary Function

To express a continuous range in time or space where the beginning and end points are not strictly defined.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun (time/place) + から + Noun (time/place) + にかけて
Not applicable (usually used with nouns).
Not applicable (usually used with nouns).
Not applicable.

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Highly common in news broadcasts, academic papers, and business reports.

😊 Informal Situations

Used when describing general periods of time or physical ranges, though ‘kara… made’ is more common in casual conversation.

✍️ Written Language

Common in newspapers, weather forecasts, and historical texts.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used frequently by news anchors and lecturers.

💡 Common Applications

Weather Reports
Used to describe a geographical area where a weather phenomenon will occur.
Example: あすは九州から四国にかけて大雨となるでしょう。
Historical Periods
Used to describe a transition or continuous state between two eras.
Example: 江戸時代末期から明治にかけて。
Physical Sensations
Used to describe a pain or sensation that spans a specific area of the body.
Example: 背中から腰にかけて痛みがある。
📊
Frequency
Common in formal reports, weather news, and written descriptions.
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3)
Example Sentences
Example #1
明日は、関東から東北にかけて雨が降るでしょう。
Furigana: あしたは、かんとうからとうほくにかけてあめがふるでしょう。
Romaji: Ashita wa, Kantō kara Tōhoku ni kakete ame ga furu deshō.
English: It will likely rain from the Kanto region to the Tohoku region tomorrow.
Example #2
夜から明け方にかけて、激しい雨が降った。
Furigana: よるからあけがたにかけて、はげしいあめがふった。
Romaji: Yoru kara akegata ni kakete, hageshii ame ga futta.
English: It rained heavily from late night until dawn.
Example #3
この地方では、秋から冬にかけて多くの祭りが開催される。
Furigana: このちほうでは、あきからふゆにかけておおくのまつりがかいさいされる。
Romaji: Kono chihō de wa, aki kara fuyu ni kakete ōku no matsuri ga kaisai sareru.
English: In this region, many festivals are held from autumn through winter.
Example #4
首から肩にかけて、ひどい凝りを感じる。
Furigana: くびからかたにかけて、ひどいこりをかんじる。
Romaji: Kubi kara kata ni kakete, hidoi kori o kanjiru.
English: I feel severe stiffness from my neck down to my shoulders.
Example #5
昨夜から今朝にかけての地震で、多くの家が被害を受けた。
Furigana: さくやからけさにかけてのじしんで、おおくのいえがひがいをうけた。
Romaji: Sakuya kara kesa ni kakete no jishin de, ōku no ie ga higai o uketa.
English: Many houses were damaged by the earthquake that occurred from last night through this morning.
Example #6
彼は10代から20代にかけて、海外で過ごした。
Furigana: かれは10だいから20だいにかけて、かいがいですごした。
Romaji: Kare wa jū-dai kara ni jū-dai ni kakete, kaigai de sugoshita.
English: He spent his time abroad from his teens through his twenties.
Example #7
明治から大正にかけて、日本の社会は大きく変化した。
Furigana: めいじからたいしょうにかけて、にほんのしゃかいはおおきくへんかした。
Romaji: Meiji kara Taishō ni kakete, Nihon no shakai wa ōkiku henka shita.
English: Japanese society changed significantly from the Meiji era through the Taisho era.
Example #8
ゴールデンウィークから5月末にかけて、旅行代金が高くなる。
Furigana: ゴールデンウィークからごがつすえにかけて、りょこうだいきんがたかくなる。
Romaji: Gōruden Wīku kara gogatsu-sue ni kakete, ryokō daikin ga takaku naru.
English: Travel prices become expensive from Golden Week through the end of May.
Example #9
九州から四国にかけての広い範囲で、梅雨入りした。
Furigana: きゅうしゅうからしこくにかけてのひろいはんいで、つゆいりした。
Romaji: Kyūshū kara Shikoku ni kakete no hiroi han’i de, tsuyuiri shita.
English: The rainy season has begun over a wide area from Kyushu to Shikoku.
Example #10
彼は頭から足にかけて、ずぶ濡れになっていた。
Furigana: かれはあたまからあしにかけて、ずぶぬれになっていた。
Romaji: Kare wa atama kara ashi ni kakete, zubunure ni natte ita.
English: He was soaking wet from head to toe.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Vague Boundaries
It describes a ‘span’ or ‘coverage’ rather than just a starting and ending point.
Example: 昨日から今日にかけて (From yesterday through today)
Spatial Extension
It is often used with geographical nouns to indicate a broad area.
Example: 東北から北海道にかけて (From Tohoku through Hokkaido)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 会議は1時から2時にかけてです。
✅ 会議は1時から2時までです。
‘Kara… ni kakete’ implies a vague or continuous range. For fixed, precise schedules, use ‘kara… made’.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral/Formal. It sounds more professional and sophisticated than ‘kara… made’.
Social Situations: Commonly used when providing information to the public (weather, traffic, news).
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese used nationwide, especially in broadcasting.

🔍 Subtle Differences

から〜まで (kara… made) vs. から〜にかけて (kara… ni kakete)
‘Kara… made’ marks clear, specific endpoints. ‘Kara… ni kakete’ suggests a continuous range or area with fuzzy boundaries.
When to use: Use ‘kara… made’ for schedules and precise distances. Use ‘kara… ni kakete’ for weather, broad periods, and physical areas.

📝 Conjugation Notes

‘Ni kakete’ comes from the verb ‘kakeru’ (to hang/extend across). It always follows the ‘Kara’ particle in this structure.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The ‘ni’ is short; focus on the flow from ‘kara’ to ‘ni kakete’ as a single logical unit.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘ni kakete’ as ‘stretching over’ or ‘covering’ the distance/time between point A and point B. It’s like a bridge connecting two points.

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