Posted inN2 Grammar

JLPT N2 Grammar: Mastering 「〜に関わる」 (Ni Kakawaru) Deep Connections in Japanese

Posted inN2 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

「〜に関わる」 (ni kakawaru) means “to be involved in,” “to be related to,” “to concern,” or “to affect.” It signifies a direct and often significant connection, influence, or involvement.

🎯 Primary Function

Its primary function is to emphasize that something is directly and deeply connected to, involved with, or has a considerable impact on another entity, situation, or outcome. It often implies that the matter at hand is important or serious.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + に + 関わる (にかかわる)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Highly common in formal discussions, business meetings, legal contexts, and academic presentations. It adds weight and seriousness to the statement.

😊 Informal Situations

Less frequently used in casual conversations, but can be employed when discussing serious personal matters or major life events.

✍️ Written Language

Very common in written Japanese, especially in official documents, news reports, business correspondence, academic papers, and any text requiring precision and formality.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Used in formal speeches, public addresses, and serious conversations where the speaker wishes to highlight the gravity or direct impact of a situation.

💡 Common Applications

Highlighting involvement in a project or task.
Used to state that someone is actively participating in or responsible for a specific project or area of work.
Example: 彼は会社の新しいプロジェクトに関わっています。 (He is involved in the company’s new project.)
Indicating matters of significant consequence.
Often used when the stakes are high, such as life, future, reputation, or legal issues, implying a critical impact.
Example: これは私たちの将来に関わる重要な決定です。 (This is an important decision that affects our future.)
Describing illnesses or conditions with serious implications.
Used in medical contexts to describe diseases or injuries that have a serious impact, like being life-threatening.
Example: 命に関わる病気ではないと聞いて安心しました。 (I was relieved to hear that it’s not a life-threatening illness.)
📊
Frequency
Moderate to high, especially in formal and serious contexts where precision and gravity are required.
🎚️
Difficulty
N2 (Advanced). The difficulty lies in understanding its nuanced implication of direct and often significant involvement/impact, distinguishing it from simpler expressions of relation.
Example Sentences
この問題は私たちの将来に関わる重要なことです。
This issue is an important matter that concerns our future.
彼は会社の経営に関わる全ての業務を担当している。
He is in charge of all operations related to the company’s management.
命に関わる病気ではないと聞いて、安心しました。
I was relieved to hear that it’s not a life-threatening illness.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Direct and Significant Connection
「〜に関わる」 implies a direct, often profound, connection or influence. It goes beyond a mere association, suggesting that one thing directly impacts or is deeply intertwined with another.
Example: 個人のプライバシーに関わる情報 (information related to individual privacy – implies sensitive, directly affecting privacy)
Context of Importance/Seriousness
This pattern is frequently used when discussing matters of high importance, seriousness, or potential consequences, such as legal issues, health, career, or national affairs.
Example: 会社の存続に関わる問題 (a problem that concerns the company’s survival)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using 「〜に関わる」 for trivial or general topics.
✅ Use 「〜について」 or 「〜に関して」 for general discussions or less direct connections.
「〜に関わる」 carries a strong sense of direct involvement or significant impact. Using it for minor or peripheral topics can sound overly dramatic or inappropriate. For example, you wouldn’t typically say 「今日の天気に関わる話」 for a casual chat about weather.
❌ Confusing it with simple “about.”
✅ Remember that 「〜に関わる」 implies a deeper, more impactful connection or active involvement than simply “about.”
While 「〜について」 and 「〜に関して」 mean “about” or “regarding,” 「〜に関わる」 means “to be involved in,” “to be concerned with,” or “to affect” directly. The nuance is critical for N2 learners.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral to formal. When used, it often signals the seriousness or importance of the topic, making it suitable for polite and respectful discourse.
Social Situations: Frequently encountered in professional settings (business, law, politics, education), news broadcasts, and official statements where clarity and precision about connections are paramount. It might feel overly formal or stiff in very casual friend conversations.
Regional Variations: The meaning and usage of 「に関わる」 are standard across all regions of Japan. There are no significant regional variations in its grammatical function or nuance.

🔍 Subtle Differences

〜に関わる vs. 〜について
「〜について」 simply means “about” or “concerning.” It indicates the topic of discussion but doesn’t necessarily imply direct involvement or significant impact. It’s a broader, more general expression.
When to use: Use 「〜について」 for general discussions or when you just want to state what something is about, without implying deep connection or consequence. E.g., 日本の文化について話す (to talk about Japanese culture).
〜に関わる vs. 〜に関して
「〜に関して」 is similar to 「〜について」 but is slightly more formal and implies a more specific relation or reference. It still doesn’t carry the strong nuance of direct involvement or impact that 「〜に関わる」 does.
When to use: Use 「〜に関して」 in formal contexts when you want to refer to something specifically or in relation to a particular matter, but without emphasizing direct consequence or active involvement. E.g., 本件に関してご説明いたします (I will explain regarding this matter).
〜に関わる vs. 〜と関係がある
「〜と関係がある」 simply means “to be related to” or “to have a connection with.” It’s a general statement of relation and doesn’t necessarily imply a direct impact or involvement of the same gravity as 「〜に関わる」.
When to use: Use 「〜と関係がある」 for general statements of a relationship or connection, where the impact or active involvement is not the primary focus. E.g., その話は私とは関係がない (That story has nothing to do with me).

📝 Conjugation Notes

「関わる」 (かかわる) is a Godan verb (五段動詞). It conjugates like other verbs ending in -aru. * **Dictionary form:** 関わる (kakawaru) * **Masu form:** 関わります (kakawarimasu) * **Negative form:** 関わらない (kakawaranai) * **Te form:** 関わって (kakawatte) * **Past form:** 関わった (kakawatta) * **Potential form:** 関われる (kakawareru) * **Volitional form:** 関わろう (kakawarou) When used in the 「N + に関わる」 pattern, it is often in its dictionary form or conjugated form depending on the sentence structure (e.g., 〜に関わること – a thing that concerns/involves, 〜に関わっている – is involved/concerned).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The pronunciation is に (ni) か (ka) わ (wa) る (ru). * **に (ni):** Pronounced like the “ni” in “nickel.” * **か (ka):** Pronounced like the “ka” in “karate.” * **わ (wa):** Pronounced like the “wa” in “water.” * **る (ru):** A light “ru” sound, often with a slight roll of the tongue, similar to the “l” in “light” for some English speakers, but closer to an alveolar flap. Pay attention to the natural rhythm and slightly elevated pitch on the second “か” for a natural flow.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of 「関わる」 as “Kaka-WARU” (like a war or struggle). When something is involved in a “war” (kakawaru), it’s a serious matter with direct impact and consequences. This can help you remember its nuance of importance and direct involvement. Also, visualize a “barrier” (関 – kan/seki) that something crosses to become directly involved.

Vocabulary List
関わる
kakawaru
to be involved, to be concerned with, to affect
将来
shōrai
future
重要な
jūyōna
important
経営
keiei
management
業務
gyōmu
business, work, duty
担当する
tantō suru
to be in charge of
命
life
Kanji List
関
カン, せき, かか.わる
barrier, gateway,関わる: to be involved in
将
ショウ
leader, future
来
ライ, く.る
come, next
重
ジュウ, おも.い
heavy, important
要
ヨウ, かなめ
essential, main point
経
ケイ, へ.る
manage, pass through
営
エイ, いとな.む
manage, operate
業
ギョウ, わざ
business, work, duty
担
タン, かつ.ぐ
shoulder, bear, be in charge of
当
トウ, あ.たる
hit, correct, be in charge of
命
メイ, いのち
fate, life
Practice Exercises
このプロジェクトは会社の未来＿＿＿＿重要なものです。
について
に関して
に関わる
ととも
それは彼の人生＿＿＿＿大きな出来事だった。
について
に関して
に関わる
のために
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