〜をこめて: 'With Feeling Put Into It' (Meaning + Examples)
Putting a feeling into an action
Nをこめて says an action is done while filling it with the feeling N — the feeling becomes bound up in whatever is made or said.
心をこめて、このプレゼントを作りました。
こころを こめて、この ぷれぜんとを つくりました。
I made this present with all my heart.
The single most common をこめて pattern.
愛情をこめて育てた野菜です。
あいじょうを こめて そだてた やさいです。
These are vegetables grown with love.
Common on farm-to-table branding.
やったんは感謝をこめて、もちに手紙を書いた。
やったんは かんしゃを こめて、もちに てがみを かいた。
Yattan wrote Mochi a letter filled with gratitude.
Original example: a letter carrying a feeling.
Form: Noun (feeling) + をこめて
をこめて attaches to a noun naming the emotion or intention being put into the action.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (feeling) | N + をこめて | 願いをこめて = putting one's wish into it |
| Noun (feeling) | N + をこめて | 感謝をこめて = putting one's gratitude into it |
祈りをこめて、鶴を折った。
いのりを こめて、つるを おった。
I folded the paper crane, putting a prayer into it.
Feeling in the object, not just in the moment
Unlike ながら, which just means two things happen at the same time, をこめて implies the feeling becomes part of what's produced — a cake, a letter, a song — so it can be felt by whoever receives it later. It rarely attaches to a plain, feeling-neutral noun; the noun before it is almost always an emotion or wish (心, 愛, 感謝, 祈り, 願い).
The short version
- 〜をこめて = "putting X into it" — an action filled with a feeling like heart, love, or gratitude.
- Attaches to: Noun naming a feeling or intention.
- Nuance/register: neutral to warm; common with gifts, letters, food, and prayers.
- Don't confuse with: ながら, which marks simultaneous actions but carries no emotional "loading."
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 〜をこめて to show a feeling put into an action.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、このプレゼントを作りました。
Where 〜をこめて 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.
- を · N5 — を marks the direct object of a verb (パンを食べる), the path you move along (道を歩く), and the place you leave (家を出る). Learn all three uses with examples.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜をめぐって — 〜をめぐって marks the topic a dispute, debate, or negotiation revolves around — 'concerning/over X' — typically followed by verbs like 争う, 対立する, or 議論する; the noun-modifying form is 〜をめぐる + Noun.
- 〜をもとに — 〜をもとに means 'based on / using X as a foundation,' marking data, experience, or material that gets reworked into something new; softer than に基づいて, which implies strict, faithful adherence to a source.
- 〜を除いて — 〜を除いて means 'except for / excluding X,' carving one item out of a group before describing the rest; often strengthened to 〜を除いては when contrasting the exception more sharply against everything else.
- やがて — やがて is an adverb meaning 'soon,' 'before long,' or 'eventually' — something will happen after a stretch of time passes. Common in narration and storytelling to bridge from one scene to a later, changed one.
- 〜やら〜やら — 〜やら〜やら lists two or more things (or feelings) side by side to convey a chaotic, overwhelming, or mixed situation — 'what with A and B.' Casual-to-neutral, and often used for jumbled emotions.
- 〜ようでは — 〜ようでは means 'if (this) is the state of things' — a current situation, if it continues, will lead to a bad result. Used to criticize or warn, often followed by a negative conclusion.