Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
について is the everyday word for about, used in normal conversation and writing. に関して is the formal, stiff version, used in speeches, news, official announcements, and academic contexts. Swapping them sounds odd: に関して in casual chat feels pompous, while について in a press release can seem too light. The meaning is the same; the difference is register. 日本の文化について話す (casual) vs この件に関して発表する (formal).
- について Use について in ordinary conversation and general writing to say what a topic is about.
- に関して/関する Use に関して in formal speech, news, or official documents to sound more stiff and professional.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| について nitsuite | About/Concerning | N3 |
| に関して/関する ni shite suru | Regarding (formal) | N3 |
について nitsuite
About/Concerning
About; on; concerning; regarding; with regard to; of | Concerning something/someone.
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スミスさんは日本へ留学することについて色々私に尋ねた。
Mr. Smith asked me various questions about his going to Japan for study.
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何について調べているんですか。
What are you investigating?
に関して/関する ni shite suru
Regarding (formal)
Concerning; with regard to; about; on | Related to.
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その件に関しましては、まだ発表できる段階だんかいではありません。
With regard to that issue, we are not yet at the stage where we can announce anything.
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その学会で吉岡氏の発表に関して多くの批判がなされた。
There was a lot of criticism concerning Mr. Yoshioka's presentation at the conference.
について and に関して/関する are both JLPT N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.