〜をめぐって: 'Concerning / Over' (Disputes and Debates)
Marking the topic of a dispute or debate
〜をめぐって introduces the issue that a disagreement, negotiation, or heated exchange is centered on. It's common in news reports about political, business, and legal conflicts.
新製品の値段をめぐって、インドのバイヤーと日本のビジネスマンは激しいやりとりをした。
しんせいひんの ねだんを めぐって、インドの バイヤーと にほんの ビジネスマンは はげしい やりとりを した。
The Indian buyer and the Japanese businessman had a fierce exchange over the price of the new product.
をめぐって sets up 値段 as the contested point.
やったんの好きなおやつをめぐって、やったんともちが言い争った。
やったんの すきな おやつを めぐって、やったんと もちが いいあらそった。
Yattan and Mochi argued over which snack Yattan liked best.
A lighter, original example — the same pattern also works for small squabbles, not just serious conflicts.
Form
〜をめぐって attaches directly to a noun and is followed by a verb of conflict, discussion, or negotiation. Its noun-modifying counterpart is 〜をめぐる + Noun.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + をめぐって + [争う/対立する/議論する] | 減税法案をめぐって応酬する |
| Noun (modifying) | Noun + をめぐる + Noun | 減税法案をめぐる議論 |
候補者たちは減税法案をめぐって応酬しました。
こうほしゃたちは げんぜいほうあんを めぐって おうしゅうしました。
The candidates traded arguments over the tax-cut bill.
をめぐって is the topic-marker; 応酬する describes the back-and-forth itself.
Nuance: をめぐって vs について
〜について is a neutral "about/regarding," fine for any topic, including calm explanations. 〜をめぐって specifically implies that people disagree — it signals conflict, competing interests, or multiple sides, so it almost always leads into words like 争い, 対立, 議論, 応酬.
The short version
- 〜をめぐって = "concerning / over [a contested topic]"
- Attaches to: Noun + をめぐって (+ verb of conflict/debate); noun-modifying form is Noun + をめぐる + Noun
- Nuance/register: implies disagreement or multiple sides — news and formal writing
- Don't confuse with: について (neutral "about," no implication of conflict)
Practice it
Choose をめぐって to mark the topic of a dispute or debate.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
インドのバイヤーと日本のビジネスマンは新製品の値＿＿＿激しいやりとりをした。
Where 〜をめぐって 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.
- 要するに — 要するに is a conjunction meaning 'in short' or 'the point is' — it introduces a summary or rephrasing of what was just said, boiling a longer explanation down to its essence.