〜を控えて: 'With ~ Coming Up' (An Event Approaching)
Marking an event that's coming up soon
〜を控えて frames an approaching event as the reason for the present situation — usually being busy, nervous, or in preparation mode.
試験を控えて、やったんは毎日準備に追われている。
しけんを ひかえて、やったんは まいにち じゅんびに おわれている。
With the exam coming up, Yattan is busy with preparations every day.
控えて sets up why he's busy now.
選挙を控えて、政治家たちは忙しくなっている。
せんきょを ひかえて、せいじかたちは いそがしく なっている。
With the election coming up, the politicians are getting busy.
Common in news reporting about upcoming events.
Form
〜を控えて attaches to a noun naming a future event, with を marking that event as the thing "held near ahead."
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (upcoming event) | Noun + を控えて | 結婚式を控えて |
| Noun + a time span | Time + 後に + Noun + を控えて | 一週間後に試験を控えて |
モチは結婚式を控えて、早く帰宅するようにしている。
モチは けっこんしきを ひかえて、はやく きたくする ように している。
With her wedding coming up, Mochi has been making a point of getting home early.
を控えて explains the change in habit.
Nuance: implies closeness, not just futurity
Unlike a plain "before X" phrase, を控えて implies the event is close enough to be actively shaping the present — it's rarely used for something vaguely "someday." It also almost always shows up with an implicit sense of pressure, anticipation, or preparation, which is why it pairs naturally with words like 忙しい, 追われる, and 緊張する.
The short version
- 〜を控えて = "with (an event) coming up / just ahead"
- Attaches to: Noun (an upcoming event) + を控えて
- Nuance/register: neutral-to-formal; implies the event is near and shaping current behavior
- Don't confuse with: 〜前に ("before ~"), which is neutral and doesn't imply closeness or pressure
Practice it
Choose を控えて where an upcoming event explains the current busyness.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、彼女は毎日準備に追われている。
Where 〜を控えて fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜をもって — 〜をもって is a formal written expression meaning 'by means of X' or, with a time noun, 'as of / effective X' — standard in official announcements, contracts, ceremonies, and business closing notices.
- 〜始末だ — 〜始末だ attaches to a clause to mean 'it ended up in [this bad state],' summing up a chain of bad decisions or events with criticism or regret — 無駄遣いばかりして、ついに始末だ ('kept wasting money, and it ended up like this').
- 〜に対して — 〜に対して attaches to a noun and marks the target of an attitude or action ('toward'), sets up a contrast between two facts, or expresses a ratio ('per'). Before a following noun it becomes に対する.
- 〜といえども — 〜といえども attaches to a noun or plain form to mean 'even though / even if X' — 専門家といえども、すべてを知っているわけではない. Formal and literary, it concedes a status before stating a limit or exception to it.
- 〜とはいえ — 〜とはいえ is a formal 'although / that said' — it concedes a point just stated, then adds a contrasting fact that still holds despite it. Common in writing and formal speech to soften a contradiction.
- 〜のみならず — 〜のみならず means 'not only...but also,' formally adding a second, often larger point to what was just said — 世界中にのみならず (not only in this country but the whole world). It's the formal register cousin of 〜だけでなく.