〜にあたり: 'On the Occasion Of' / 'In Doing' (Formal Timing)
Marking a significant occasion
〜にあたり sets up an important event as the occasion for a statement, greeting, or piece of advice that follows. It's common in speeches, greeting cards, and formal announcements — new years, graduations, project launches, weddings.
新年を迎えるにあたり、皆様のご多幸をお祈り申し上げます。
しんねんを むかえるにあたり、みなさまの ごたこうを おいのり もうしあげます。
On the occasion of the new year, I wish everyone happiness.
Classic opening line for a New Year's greeting.
やったんは卒業式を迎えるにあたり、両親に感謝の気持ちを伝えたいと言った。
やったんは そつぎょうしきを むかえるにあたり、りょうしんに かんしゃの きもちを つたえたいと いった。
On the occasion of his graduation, Yattan said he wanted to convey his gratitude to his parents.
Marks graduation as the formal occasion.
Form
〜にあたり attaches to a noun directly, or to a verb in dictionary form (often 迎える, 開始する, 始める-type verbs describing the start of something significant).
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + にあたり | 卒業にあたり |
| Verb (dictionary form) | Verb-る + にあたり | 開始するにあたり |
このプロジェクトを開始するにあたり、いくつか注意点があります。
この プロジェクトを かいしする にあたり、いくつか ちゅういてんが あります。
In starting this project, there are a few points to note.
にあたり flags the project launch as the occasion for the caution that follows.
Nuance: にあたり vs. にあたって
にあたり and にあたって are essentially interchangeable — にあたって is slightly more common in speech, while にあたり feels a touch more written/formal, often seen in printed greetings and official documents. Neither is used for small, routine actions; save both for occasions that genuinely matter.
The short version
- 〜にあたり = "at the time of / on the occasion of / in doing [something important]"
- Attaches to: Noun + にあたり, or Verb-dictionary-form + にあたり
- Nuance/register: formal, written or ceremonial speech; reserved for significant, often one-time events
- Don't confuse with: にあたって (near-identical, slightly more spoken) or 際に (a more neutral "when/on the occasion of")
Practice it
Choose にあたり to mark a formal, significant occasion.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
新年を迎える＿＿＿、ご挨拶申し上げます。
Where 〜にあたり fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜に行く · N5 — 〜に行く/来る/帰る says you go, come, or return somewhere to do something. Learn the ます-stem + に pattern, suru-nouns like 買い物に行く, and how to mark the place.
- Past Tense · N5 — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.
- 〜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 N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜に反して — 〜に反して means 'contrary to' — it marks an expectation, prediction, or rule that turns out to be opposite of what actually happened, common with 予想 and 期待.
- 〜に限る — 〜に限る means 'nothing beats / the best thing is,' expressing a personal, experience-based recommendation: 暑い日は冷たいビールに限る ('on a hot day, nothing beats a cold beer'). Attaches to nouns or plain-form verbs.
- 〜に越したことはない — 〜に越したことはない means 'it's best if…, though not strictly necessary' — a mild, universally-agreeable recommendation: 安いに越したことはない ('cheaper is always better'). Attaches to plain-form verbs and adjectives.
- 〜に際して — 〜に際して means 'on the occasion of' or 'at the time of' — a formal N2 expression used for special, significant events like graduations, weddings, or openings, often in speeches.
- 〜に先立ち — 〜に先立ち means 'before' or 'prior to' — a formal N2 expression for something done in preparation for, or ahead of, a major upcoming event, common in announcements and news.
- 〜に従って — 〜に従って has two jobs: 'in accordance with' rules or instructions, and 'as X, so Y' for proportional change. Learn both senses and how to tell them apart from に則って.