Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“From [A] stretching to [B],” “over the period/area of…”
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate an approximate span or range, particularly for time or location, where an event or condition persists.
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun A (Time/Place) + から + Noun B (Time/Place) + にかけて
N/A (Focus on Noun connection)
N/A (Focus on Noun connection)
N/A (Focus on Noun connection)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Frequently used in formal contexts, such as news reports, weather forecasts, and descriptive essays.
Informal Situations
Used but less frequently than in formal language, often replaced by more casual expressions like ~から~まで.
Written Language
Very common in written reports, journalism, and academic descriptions due to its precise yet spanning nature.
Spoken Language
Common in formal announcements and descriptions, but can be used conversationally to describe events spanning a period.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing a range in time.
Used to indicate an action or state that continues throughout a defined period, but the starting and ending points are often vague or non-specific.
Example: 午前中から午後にかけて、会議が続いた。 (Gozentchū kara gogo ni kakete, kaigi ga tsuzuita.)
Expressing a range in space/area.
Used to indicate a geographical span or area over which something extends or occurs.
Example: 東京から大阪にかけて、新幹線が走っている。 (Tōkyō kara Ōsaka ni kakete, shinkansen ga hashitte iru.)
Focus on the latter half of a period (Noun + にかけて).
When used with a single noun (usually time), it means “towards the end of that period” or “as it approaches that time.”
Example: 週末にかけて、天気が回復する見込みだ。 (Shūmatsu ni kakete, tenki ga kaifuku suru mikomi da.)
Frequency
Moderate to High (Especially in news and descriptive writing)
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
明日の朝から昼にかけて、雨が降るでしょう。
Furigana: あしたのあさからひるにかけて、あめがふるでしょう。
Romaji: Ashita no asa kara hiru ni kakete, ame ga furu deshō.
English: The weather forecast predicts rain from tomorrow morning until noon.
Example #2
台風は地方の、南から西にかけて、大雨をもたらした。
Furigana: たいふうはちほうの、みなみからにしにかけて、おおあめをもたらした。
Romaji: Taifū wa chihō no, minami kara nishi ni kakete, ōame o motarashita.
English: The typhoon caused heavy rains in the area stretching from the south to the west of the region.
Example #3
夕方から夜にかけて、気温が急激に下がる。
Furigana: ゆうがたからよるにかけて、きおんがきゅうげんにさがる。
Romaji: Yūgata kara yoru ni kakete, kion ga kyūgeki ni sagaru.
English: The temperature drops rapidly in the evening and into the night.
Example #4
この道は、駅前からデパートにかけて、いつも混んでいる。
Furigana: このみちは、えきまえからデパートにかけて、いつもこんでいる。
Romaji: Kono michi wa, ekimae kara depāto ni kakete, itsumo konde iru.
English: This road is always crowded from the station front up to the department store.
Example #5
この音楽は、1980年代から90年代にかけて、流行した。
Furigana: このおんがくは、せんきゅうひゃくはちじゅうねんだいからきゅうじゅうねんだいにかけて、りゅうこうした。
Romaji: Kono ongaku wa, sen kyūhyaku hachijūnendai kara kyūjūnendai ni kakete, ryūkō shita.
English: This music was popular throughout the 1980s and into the 90s.
Example #6
今年の秋から来年の春にかけて、その研究を行う予定だ。
Furigana: こんねんのあきかららいねんのはるにかけて、そのけんきゅうをおこなうよていだ。
Romaji: Konnnen no aki kara rainen no haru ni kakete, sono kenkyū o okonau yotei da.
English: They plan to carry out the research from this autumn through next spring.
Example #7
有名なアーティストは、北海道から沖縄にかけて、全国をツアーした。
Furigana: ゆうめいなアーティストは、ほっかいどうからおきなわにかけて、ぜんこくをツアーした。
Romaji: Yūmei na ātisuto wa, Hokkaidō kara Okinawa ni kakete, zenkoku o tsuā shita.
English: The famous artist toured all of Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Example #8
週末にかけて、忙しくなりそうだ。
Furigana: しゅうまつにかけて、いそがしくなりそうだ。
Romaji: Shūmatsu ni kakete, isogashiku nari sō da.
English: It looks like I will be getting busy as the weekend approaches.
Example #9
関東から東北にかけて、大雪が予想されている。
Furigana: かんとうからとうほくにかけて、おおゆきがよそうされている。
Romaji: Kantō kara Tōhoku ni kakete, ōyuki ga yosō sarete iru.
English: We are expecting heavy snow from the Kanto region stretching into Tohoku.
Example #10
マラソンは、町の中心から海岸にかけての長いコースで行われる。
Furigana: マラソンは、まちのちゅうしんからかいがんにかけてのながいコースでおこなわれる。
Romaji: Marason wa, machi no chūshin kara kaigan ni kakete no nagai kōsu de okonawareru.
English: The marathon will be held on a long course from the city center to the coast.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Indicates an Approximate Range
The endpoints (Hokkaidō and Tōhoku) are approximate boundaries, and the phenomena (increase in travelers) occurred in the general span between and around these points.
Example: 北海道から東北にかけて、旅行者が増加した。 (Hokkaidō kara Tōhoku ni kakete, ryokōsha ga zōka shita.)
Usage with a Single Noun (Approaching Time)
When used with a single time noun (like 週末), it often means ‘as [time] approaches’ or ‘leading up to [time].’
Example: 週末にかけて、天気が崩れる見込みだ。 (Shūmatsu ni kakete, tenki ga kuzureru mikomi da.)
Emphasizes the Continuity of the Action/State
It suggests that the action (completing the project) happened continuously or intermittently throughout the entire span, unlike merely stating the start and end dates.
Example: 昨年の秋から冬にかけて、大きなプロジェクトを完成させた。 (Sakunen no aki kara fuyu ni kakete, ōkina purojekuto o kansei saseta.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 会議は9時から11時にかけて終わった。 (Kaigi wa kuji kara jūichiji ni kakete owatta.)
✅ Use Noun A から Noun B まで for exact endpoints.
Students sometimes confuse にかけて with まで. まで implies a clear, exact endpoint, while にかけて implies an approximate, encompassing range.
❌ 夏にかけて、ずっと暑かった。 (Natsu ni kakete, zutto atsukatta.)
✅ Use にわたって for the whole duration, or にかけて for the span leading up to or around the time.
When using a single noun (e.g., “The summer”), にかけて implies the whole season or the period leading up to it. If you want to stress “throughout the entire period,” にわたって is better.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Slightly Formal. It is a suitable expression in most non-casual settings.
Social Situations: Often heard in public announcements, weather forecasts, travel information, and historical/geographical descriptions.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese grammar, used nationwide.
🔍 Subtle Differences
～から～にかけて vs. ～から～まで
まで indicates definite, exact boundaries and is used for precise information. にかけて indicates indefinite, approximate boundaries and is used for general descriptions.
When to use: Use にかけて for weather forecasts, general trends, or describing large geographical areas. Use まで for train schedules, appointment times, or financial reports.
～にかけて vs. ～にわたって
にわたって emphasizes the entirety or full length of the range (time or space). にかけて emphasizes the span between or leading up to a point.
When to use: Use にわたって when you want to stress that something happened “throughout” or “over the entire 3-hour period.” Use にかけて when the range is less specific.
～にかけて vs. ～について
While both involve the particle に, にかけて has a secondary, more advanced meaning of “when it comes to…” or “regarding,” which is similar to について. However, にかけて (in this nuance) is more evaluative, often used to praise or critique a skill.
When to use: Use にかけて (second meaning) for specific skills (e.g., 彼女は料理にかけては天才だ). Use について for general topics and discussions (e.g., 料理について話す).
📝 Conjugation Notes
The pattern is structurally simple, connecting two nouns (representing the start and end of a range) via から… にかけて. Both nouns must be of the same type (both time or both place). The pattern can also be used with a single noun (Noun B + にかけて), focusing on the period leading up to that noun.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce にかけて smoothly, paying attention to the slight pause or emphasis on the initial に if it is not preceded by から.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of にかけて as “casting a net over” (掛ける, *kakeru* means to hang/cast). You are casting a net of time or space between point A and point B, implying everything within that span is included.
Other Grammar
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.