を問わず|をとわず
- 1Regardless of variation in a category of people, such as age or gender, anyone qualifies.Ex. 1
- 2Regardless of variation in circumstances, such as weather, the outcome stays the same.Ex. 2
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Somewhat formal and typical of written Japanese. It appears often in notices, job advertisements, event announcements, and product descriptions, usually with nouns that cover a range of values or with opposing pairs. It is close in meaning to にかかわらず but stresses that a criterion is not being asked about or considered.
Learners sometimes attach it to a single specific item; the noun should express a range or category of variation, such as 年齢, 天候, or 男女.
Note that 問わず is the negative continuative form of 問う, meaning "not asking about," so it takes the particle を.
Do not overuse it in casual conversation, where に関係なく often sounds more natural.
- 1.にかかわらずN2「にかかわらず」 is close in meaning and also written-style, and when attaching to nouns the two are often interchangeable; besides nouns, it can also attach to affirmative/negative pairs like 「行く行かない」 or 「するかしないか」. Do not confuse it with 「にもかかわらず」, which means 'despite'.
- 2.によらずN1In the 'regardless of' sense, 「によらず」 is close to 「を問わず」 and often interchangeable, but its tone is stiffer and it appears mostly in laws and regulations; it can also mean 'not relying on a means' (e.g. 「武力によらず」), which 「を問わず」 cannot do.
- 3.いかんによらずN1「いかんによらず」 is close in meaning and interchangeable when attaching to nouns like 「天候」 or 「結果」. It generally takes the form 'noun + の + いかんによらず', is stiffer than 「を問わず」, and is used mainly in regulations, notices, and formal speeches.
- 4.であれ〜であれN2「であれ〜であれ」 requires listing two items, each followed by 「であれ」, and it also attaches to na-adjectives; 「を問わず」 attaches to nouns containing multiple variations, such as 「年齢」 or 「男女」. 「男女を問わず」 can be rephrased as 「男であれ女であれ」.
- 5.にしろ / にせよN2「にしろ／にせよ」 also has a concessive meaning 'even if... still'; only the pattern 「AにしろBにしろ」 is close to 「を問わず」, and it can attach to verbs and adjectives, with the second clause usually expressing a judgment or claim. 「を問わず」 attaches only to nouns.
- 6.て当然だN2「て当然だ」 means that, given the cause, a certain result or reaction is only natural, carrying the speaker's evaluation; it attaches to the te-form of verbs and adjectives and works in both speech and writing. 「を問わず」 attaches to nouns and means 'not restricted by that condition'. The two differ in meaning and cannot be interchanged.
にかかわらず is nearly synonymous and more easily takes verb or adjective pairs (降る降らないにかかわらず), while によらず and the more formal いかんによらず mean "not depending on" a factor or its outcome. であれ〜であれ and にしろ / にせよ list specific alternatives in a concessive "whether A or B" frame, and て当然だ ("it is natural that") is unrelated in meaning.
