とあって

JLPT N1approx.Written
Meaning

Because of the special circumstance that ~; since it is ~. It presents a notable situation as the reason for what naturally follows, often an observed scene or public reaction.

Formation
Noun+とあって
Verb (plain form)+とあって
i-adj. (plain form)+とあって
na-adj. stem+とあってe.g. 連休とあって, 来るとあって
Examples
連休れんきゅうとあって、観光地かんこうちはどこも大勢おおぜいの人ひとでにぎわっていた。
Because it was a long holiday weekend, every tourist spot was bustling with crowds of people.
有名ゆうめいな歌手かしゅが来くるとあって、会場かいじょうには早朝そうちょうからファンが並ならんでいた。
Because a famous singer was coming, fans had been lining up at the venue since early morning.
Usage

This written pattern is common in news reports and descriptive writing. The first clause states an unusual or noteworthy circumstance, and the second describes a situation or reaction that naturally results. Unlike plain から or ので, it presents the cause as something special.

Watch out

Do not end the second clause with the speaker's own intention, request, command, or invitation; it should describe an observed situation.

Learners should not use it for ordinary, everyday reasons; the cause should be a special or noteworthy circumstance.

Note that it sounds stiff in casual conversation, where から or ので are more natural.

Easily confused with
  • とあればN1「とあれば」 is a hypothetical condition ("if it is…") whose main clause usually expresses will, resolve, or readiness to make sacrifices, while 「とあって」 states an established cause followed by an objective scene and cannot take a volitional clause. Both attach to the same kinds of preceding words and lean formal, but they are not interchangeable.
  • だけあってN2「だけあって」 means "as one would expect of…" and is followed by a result that befits what comes before, whereas 「とあって」 only stresses the natural outcome of special circumstances and does not imply "living up to one's name." 「だけあって」 is neutral in register, and な-adjectives take 「な」 before it.
  • とばかりにN1「とばかりに」 does not express cause; it describes an action or expression that seems to say 「……」, and the preceding part is an inner voice that can be in imperative or volitional form, whereas with 「とあって」 the first part is a special circumstance and the second is the objective scene that results from it. The two are not interchangeable.
  • ことからN2「ことから」 can explain the origin of a name or draw a judgment or result from a fact, and its first part need not be special; nouns require 「である」 before it, while 「とあって」 attaches directly to nouns. When explaining an origin, 「ことから」 cannot be replaced by 「とあって」.
  • ゆえにN1「ゆえに」 can mark ordinary causes, emphasizing a necessary causal link, and can also stand alone at the start of a sentence to mean "therefore" in logical reasoning, with a stronger classical flavor. 「とあって」 only expresses the natural result of special circumstances and cannot be used in these ways.
  • に際してN2「に際して」 means "on the occasion of…" and pinpoints the timing of an important event, usually followed by a formal speech or procedure, while 「とあって」 emphasizes the objective scene brought about by special circumstances. They are sometimes interchangeable when describing major events, but their focus differs.

とあって states a special circumstance that actually holds and its natural result, while とあれば is conditional ("if it is for ~, then…"), だけあって presents a result as fitting or to be expected from its cause (usually praise, though a negative result is possible, as in 安いだけあって、作りが雑だ), and とばかりに means "as if to say." ことから gives grounds for a judgment or name, ゆえに is a general formal "because," and に際して marks an occasion rather than a cause.

Grammar · JLPT grammar levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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