The に関して Compound Particle: Concerning / Regarding (Formal)

The に関して compound particle is a formal Japanese topic marker. As a 複合格助詞 (compound case particle), it frames the following predicate as speech, writing, or investigation concerning a topic and what surrounds it.¹ Intermediate learners meet it just after について and miss straightforward N3 marks by treating the two as interchangeable.²

Overview

What kind of particle is に関して

に関して is a 複合格助詞 (compound case particle): two or more words that combine to function as a single particle.¹ It is built from the case particle に plus the て-form of the suru-verb 関する ("to be related to, to concern").³

The form belongs to a productive family of particles built by attaching the て-form of a verb to に. Other members include について (付く), に対して (対する), によって (因る), において, and にとって.¹ Each member frames the preceding noun and behaves as a single postposition.

The lexical core does the work. 関する means "be related to," so X に関して widens "about X" into "concerning X and what is connected with it."¹

The verb behind the particle is still alive

関する is not a fossilized morpheme. It surfaces independently (この件に関する = "concerning this matter") and appears in many dense jukugo compounds: 関係, 関連, 関与, 機関, 関心. The compound particle inherits the verb's "be related to" core, which is why に関して reads as broader than について.¹

One core reading: formal topic, plus what surrounds it

X に関して marks a topic of speech, writing, or investigation in the same slot as について.⁴² Two structural differences separate it from its neighbour.

First, the register lifts. The 日本語NET reference describes the form as "「〜について」よりも硬い表現で、書き言葉や改まった場面で使われることが多い" ("a stiffer expression than 〜について, used in written language and formal contexts").⁴

Second, the scope widens. The 複合格助詞 reference characterizes the difference as "についてより範囲が広い" ("scope wider than について").¹ に関して covers the topic and what is related to it. について points at the topic alone.

環境かんきょうに関かんして、質問しつもんはありますか。²
"Do you have any questions concerning the environment?"

JLPT level, register, and frequency

に関して is an N3 grammar point in every JLPT teaching reference checked for this article.⁴²⁵⁶⁷

The register is formal. に関して is the default in reports, business email, presentations, news writing, and academic prose. It is rare in everyday conversation.⁴² Bunpro summarizes the split: "Compared to について... に関して is quite a bit more formal, and will rarely be used in casual conversation."²

Two register-variant forms branch off the base. The clipped に関し (without て) sounds even stiffer, written, and businesslike.⁶ The keigo-suffixed に関しまして is the polite business form heard in customer service and formal announcements.⁶

Form and attachment rules

The base form: Noun + に関して + verb

The default shape is a topical noun, に関して, and a predicate of speech, writing, investigation, or report.⁴⁸ The 日本語NET reference lists typical triggering predicates: 話す, 述べる, 書く, 説明する, 報告する, 質問する, 調査する, 議論する.⁴

本件ほんけんに関かんして、君きみの意見いけんを聞ききたいんだが。⁴
"Concerning this matter, I would like to hear your opinion."

事故じこの原因げんいんに関かんして、現在げんざい調査ちょうさが進すすめられている。⁴
"An investigation is currently underway concerning the cause of the accident."

The noun-modifying form: Noun + に関する + Noun

When the に関して phrase modifies a following noun, the て-form swaps to the dictionary form: Noun + に関する + Noun.⁴²⁵

The same split runs through the に + V-て family. する-ending compound particles (に関する, に対する, における) take the noun directly. て-ending compound particles (についての, によっての) require の before the noun.¹ The quickest rule is based on the final morpheme: する takes the noun bare; て takes の.

昨日きのうの会議かいぎに関かんするメールを送おくりましたので、見みてください。⁶
"I sent the email concerning yesterday's meeting, so please take a look."

彼かれの新あたらしい小説しょうせつは、日本文化にほんぶんかに関かんするものだった。⁵
"His new novel was one concerning Japanese culture."

The marked alternative に関しての + Noun is attested but secondary. 日本語NET notes "「〜に関するN」、「〜に関してのN」と２通りの言い方がある" while flagging に関する as the default.⁴

The formal-written variant: に関し

The clipped form に関し has the same syntax and meaning as に関して. Its register is one tier closer to news copy, government documents, contracts, and legal opinions.⁶ MLC Japanese describes the variant as conveying "a businesslike tone."⁶

The topicalized variant: に関しては

に関して + topic marker は sets the topic explicitly or contrasts it against another topic.²⁶

経済けいざいに関かんしては全然ぜんぜん詳くわしくありません。²
"As for economics, I am not knowledgeable at all."

このプロジェクトに関かんしては後程のちほど詳くわしくご説明せつめいいたします。⁶
"As for this project, I will explain it in detail later."

Host-noun profile: what に関して typically attaches to

The host is almost always a topical noun, not a person.⁸ Four host classes cover most examples found in the sources:

Host class	Examples
Fields	経済, 環境, 教育, 医療, 日本の歴史, 日本文化
Issues and incidents	問題, 事件, 事故, 本件, 案件
Information and inquiry bodies	報告, 調査, 質問, 配送, 商品
Abstract policy concepts	少子化, 地球温暖化

These host classes are drawn from examples in 日本語NET, Bunpro, JLPTsensei, and MLC Japanese.⁴²⁵⁶

What に関して cannot do

に関して is a topic and scope marker. Three nearby slots belong to other particles in the family.

It cannot mark the target of an attitude or action. That slot belongs to に対して, the subject of the article The に対して Compound Particle: Toward / In Contrast.⁸ It cannot mark the experiencer's vantage. That is にとって's job. It cannot mark a passive agent. That is the by-particle によって's slot.

It also resists verbs of internal thought. The block on 思う and 考える is the biggest production trap for learners. It is treated in the Verb-class restriction note in Good to know.

Nuance and usage contexts

に関して vs について: register and breadth

The contrast with the related about-particle, treated in The について Compound Particle: About / Regarding, splits on two clear axes.

The register axis: について is neutral and acceptable in everyday speech, textbooks, and casual writing. に関して is formal and the default in business email, reports, academic prose, and presentations.⁴²⁵⁶

The breadth-of-relation axis: the 複合格助詞一覧 reference describes に関して's scope as "についてより範囲が広い," broader than について.¹ について points at the topic itself. に関して covers the topic and what is related to it.

In an N3 reading passage, に関して flags that the writer is opening a broad field, not pointing at a narrow proposition.¹ Both particles can pair with は to form topicalized variants については and に関しては.⁸²

日本にほんの文化ぶんかについて知しりたい。⁸
"I want to learn about Japanese culture." (neutral register)

日本文化にほんぶんかに関かんする本ほんを読よんでいます。⁵
"I am reading a book concerning Japanese culture." (formal register, broader scope)

に関して vs に対して: topic vs target

に関して and に対して share the に + V-て shape but mark different roles. に関して is a topic and scope marker. に対して, treated in The に対して Compound Particle: Toward / In Contrast, is a target and direction-of-action marker.⁸

Wasabi summarizes the three-way grid this way: について covers "targets of thoughts and speech" (neutral); に関して covers "targets of thoughts and speech, more formal"; に対して covers "targets of non-physical actions, emotions, and attitudes."⁸ The etymological anchors (付く, 関する, 対する) preserve the logic: 付く sticks, 関する relates, 対する faces.⁸

姉あねはいつも妹いもうとに対たいして怒おこっている。⁸
"The older sister is always angry at the younger sister."

The target-of-emotion slot above belongs to に対して, not に関して. に関して cannot replace に対して here.

に関して vs にかかわる: concerning vs involving

にかかわる ("to do with / involve") is the close lexical neighbour of に関して on the related-to axis. Wasabi places it under "targets of relations" and glosses it as "to do with," "related with," "affect," and "involve."⁸

Two differences separate the two. Function: にかかわる typically appears as a relative clause modifying a following noun, not as a free topic marker.⁸ Weight: にかかわる adds stakes ("X is at stake in this"). に関して is the neutral formal topic marker.⁸

癌がんは命いのちにかかわる病気びょうきだ。⁸
"Cancer is an illness that involves one's life."

Use にかかわる only when the stakes are real

Reach for にかかわる when the relation is consequential (命にかかわる, 信用にかかわる, 名誉にかかわる). For ordinary "about X" topic-setting in a report, business email, or academic paper, に関して is the neutral choice and にかかわる overstates the weight.⁸

Typical contexts: report, business email, academic prose

に関して shows up in fixed environments. Recognizing the host frame is the fastest way to predict the particle on sight.

Report openings and business email pair the form with formal predicates: 本件に関してご報告いたします, ご質問に関してお答えいたします.⁴⁶ News copy and academic prose often use the noun-modifying form 〜に関する: 事件に関する詳細, 〜に関する先行研究, 〜に関する論文.²⁵

この計画けいかくに関かんして何なにか質問しつもんはありませんか。⁶
"Do you have any questions concerning this plan?"

The particle also iterates with も to mark parallel topics:

彼かれは仕事しごとに関かんしても遊あそびに関かんしても熱心ねっしんな人ひとです。⁶
"He is an enthusiastic person both concerning work and concerning leisure."

Good to know

Verb-class restriction: no 思う / 考える

に関して does not pair naturally with verbs of internal thought. A learner who writes 環境問題に関して考えている (intending "I am thinking about environmental issues") has the wrong topic marker. The licensed form is:

環境問題かんきょうもんだいについて考かんがえている。⁸
"I am thinking about environmental issues."

Wasabi states the restriction directly: "Cannot use に関して with verbs related to thoughts, e.g. 思う and 考える."⁸ The blocker is not formality but lexical aspect. 関する frames the topic as something external to be addressed (spoken about, written about, investigated, reported on). "Thinking" is an internal act that resists that external framing. For thought verbs, default to について. For speech, writing, and investigation verbs, に関して is available.⁸

に関する takes no の before the noun

The default noun-modifying form is に関する + N, with no の inserted. The same N3 written error appears in the related に対して article: learners who carry the についての pattern across to に関して overgeneralize and produce 日本文化に関しての本.

日本文化にほんぶんかに関かんする本ほん²
"a book concerning Japanese culture"

The split runs through the family by particle-final morpheme: する → no の (に関する, に対する, における); て → の (についての, によっての). Both shapes are attested for に関して. 日本語NET notes "「〜に関するN」、「〜に関してのN」と２通りの言い方がある," but に関する is the default and the safe choice for production.⁴

Spoken に関して signals self-conscious formality

In conversation, に関して reads as borrowed-from-writing, not as everyday speech. Bunpro flags that "compared to について, に関して is quite a bit more formal, and will rarely be used in casual conversation."² 日本語NET marks it as 書き言葉 and 改まった場面 (written language and formal scenes).⁴

If you would not write a report on the topic, downgrade to について.

に関しまして is the keigo tier

The polite-suffixed form 〜に関しまして is the business-keigo upgrade of に関して, parallel to について → につきまして.⁶ It is heard in customer service, business email, and formal announcements: お客様のご質問に関しましてお答えいたします. The syntax is identical to に関して. The form adds one politeness step.⁶

The clipped に関し sits on the same formal-written tier but points in a different stylistic direction: terse and businesslike, common in news copy and legal text rather than in spoken keigo.⁶

関する is alive: keep the lexical verb in view

関する ("to be related to, to concern") is still a productive suru-verb. It surfaces independently (この件に関する = "concerning this matter") and appears in a dense vocabulary cluster (関係, 関連, 関与, 機関, 関心).¹ The compound particle inherits the verb's "be related to" core. That is why に関して naturally widens the scope from the bare topic to its neighbours: the relation is what is marked, not the topic alone (the breadth-of-relation point captured in "についてより範囲が広い").¹

Three verbs, three particles: 付く, 関する, 対する

The three N3 compound topic and target particles all derive from a transparent verb. 付く ("stick") feeds について, which sticks to the topic in neutral register. 関する ("relate") feeds に関して, which links by relation in formal register and slightly broader scope. 対する ("face") feeds に対して, which faces a target in directional or contrastive use.¹⁸ Learners who learn the verbs first rarely confuse the particles.

The "X and what surrounds X" reading is the exam tell

N3 grammar items that contrast に関して with について often hinge on the breadth difference. If the passage opens a wide field ("the economy and related areas," "the incident and its background"), に関して is the licensed answer. If it points at a narrow proposition ("the meaning of this sentence," "what you think of X"), について is the licensed answer.¹ Read the host noun first, then choose.

See also

• The について Compound Particle: About / Regarding
• The に対して Compound Particle: Toward / In Contrast
• The に Particle: A Multi-Function Workhorse
• The は Particle: Topic Marker
• Polite vs. Plain Japanese: です/ます vs. だ (丁寧体・普通体)
• How to Write a Japanese Business Email: Keigo Guide

References

Footnotes

1. 日本語教育能力検定試験まとめ. 「複合格助詞一覧」. https://nihongokyoiku-shiken.com/list-of-compound-case-particles/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

2. Bunpro. "に関する・に関して (JLPT N3)." https://bunpro.jp/grammar_points/%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B-%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

3. Stout, Timothy G. Japanese Particles: A Comprehensive Guide. Tuttle Publishing. Entry for に関して / に関する as a 複合格助詞 derived from 関する. ↩

4. 日本語NET (nihongokyoshi-net). 「【JLPT N3】文法・例文：〜に関して」. https://nihongokyoshi-net.com/2019/05/20/jlptn3-grammar-nikanshite/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

5. JLPTsensei. "JLPT N3 Grammar: に関する / に関して (ni kansuru / ni kanshite) Meaning." https://jlptsensei.com/learn-japanese-grammar/%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B-%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6-ni-kan-suru-ni-kan-shite-meaning/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. MLC Japanese Language School (Tokyo). "JLPT N3の文法 grammar: ～に関して（～にかんして）." https://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/n3_01_07.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

7. Hanabira. "Japanese JLPT Grammar Point: ～に関して (〜ni kanshite)." https://hanabira.org/japanese/grammarpoint/%EF%BD%9E%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%20(%E3%80%9Cni%20kanshite) ↩

8. Wasabi. "How to Express Various Targets: に対して, について, and にかかわる." https://wasabi-jpn.com/magazine/japanese-grammar/how-to-express-various-targets/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸