〜にあたる
- 1To correspond to or be equivalent to something, such as a proportion, a date, or a relationship.Ex. 1
- 2On the occasion of or when starting a significant event or undertaking, used as にあたり／にあたって.Ex. 2
QuantityA number plus a counter.
三つ・二人・五冊・一時間
Lengths of time count too: 三年・一時間・二週間. Points in time such as 三時・三月 do not.
Verb (dictionary form)The basic form of a verb, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
行く・食べる・する・来る
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 行かない・行った・行かなかった.
Verb (dictionary form)The basic form of a verb, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
行く・食べる・する・来る
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 行かない・行った・行かなかった.
Verb (dictionary form)The basic form of a verb, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
行く・食べる・する・来る
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 行かない・行った・行かなかった.
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Sense 1 is common in reports, statistics, and explanations to show that one quantity or thing corresponds to another. Sense 2 is formal and appears in speeches, announcements, and official documents when introducing an important undertaking, such as a new fiscal year, a project launch, or an opening ceremony. にあたり is slightly more formal than にあたって.
Do not use にあたり／にあたって for trivial everyday actions; it implies a significant, often formal, occasion or undertaking.
Learners sometimes confuse sense 1 with に値する; にあたる shows correspondence, not that something deserves or is worthy of something.
- 1.にあたってN2にあたって is the use of にあたる meaning "on the occasion of" and can be swapped with にあたり, which is more formal. For "be equivalent to" or "fall on a certain day," use にあたる, never にあたって.
- 2.に際してN2に際して matches only the "on the occasion of" sense of にあたり／にあたって and is often interchangeable with them, but it focuses on the moment itself, whereas にあたって implies preparing for it and facing it solemnly. に際して has no "equivalent to" or "coincide with" meaning.
- 3.に値するN1に値する means "worthy of" or "deserving" and judges the value of a person or thing, typically after words like 称賛 or 注目. にあたる means "equivalent to," "coincide with," or "on the occasion of" without any evaluation, so the two are not interchangeable.
- 4.にあたりN2にあたり is the continuative (連用中止形) form of にあたる. As a set pattern it only means "on the occasion of," and it is more formal than にあたって. In the "equivalent to" and "coincide with" senses it merely marks a pause mid-sentence, and the sentence still ends with にあたる.
- 5.にしてN1にして follows an age, a stage, or words like 一夜 to describe what happens at that point ("not until…," "at only… already," "in an instant"), and it can also indicate holding two roles at once. にあたって stresses solemnly facing an important occasion, so the two are not interchangeable.
〜に当たる is simply the kanji spelling of the same pattern, and にあたって／にあたり are its connective forms for 'on the occasion of'. に際して is similar but focuses on the moment itself rather than preparation for an undertaking. に値する means 'to be worthy of', and にして marks a stage or point, as in 'only at' or 'even for'.
