Building on, taking into account: 〜を踏まえて
Noun + を踏まえて／を踏まえ／を踏まえた
Noun + を踏まえて: taking a known fact (result, experience, opinion) into account as a basis for a decision. Before a noun: を踏まえた. The language of reports and meetings.
In short
〜を踏まえて: taking a fact, a result, an experience or an opinion as a solid basis before deciding or acting: “taking into account, building on”. 踏まえる literally means “to plant one's feet firmly”: you stand firmly on X. Very common in reports, meetings and political speeches.
- 調査結果を踏まえて、今後の方針を決定する。ちょうさけっかをふまえて、こんごのほうしんをけっていする。We'll decide our future course taking the survey results into account.
- 前回の反省を踏まえ、今年は準備期間を長く取った。ぜんかいのはんせいをふまえ、ことしはじゅんびきかんをながくとった。Learning from last time, we allowed a longer preparation period this year.
- 皆様のご意見を踏まえた上で、改めてご提案いたします。みなさまのごいけんをふまえたうえで、あらためてごていあんいたします。Once we've taken your views into account, we'll put forward a new proposal.
The basics
踏まえる comes from 踏む (“to step on”): literally, “to plant one's foot firmly”. Figuratively, 〜を踏まえて means “standing on X”: you've properly absorbed X, and that's where you decide from. X is something already known: a result, an experience, a failure, a discussion, opinions gathered.
It's one of the key words of meeting and report Japanese: 〜を踏まえて検討する, 〜を踏まえた対応.
We'll decide our future course taking the survey results into account.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 調査結果を踏まえて、今後の方針を決定する。ちょうさけっかをふまえて、こんごのほうしんをけっていする。We'll decide our future course taking the survey results into account.
- 現場の声を踏まえ、制度の見直しを進める。げんばのこえをふまえ、せいどのみなおしをすすめる。We'll press ahead with reviewing the system, taking feedback from the front line into account.
How to form it
Noun + を踏まえて before a verb; を踏まえ, without て, in an even more written style; を踏まえた before a noun. 〜を踏まえた上で stresses the order: first you take X on board, then you act.
| Form | Before | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + を踏まえて | a verb | 結果を踏まえて判断する |
| Noun + を踏まえ、 | a verb (written style) | 反省を踏まえ、改善する |
| Noun + を踏まえた | a noun | 実態を踏まえた対策 |
| Noun + を踏まえた上で | “after taking on board” | 意見を踏まえた上で決める |
- 高齢化の実態を踏まえた対策が急がれる。こうれいかのじったいをふまえたたいさくがいそがれる。Measures grounded in the reality of an ageing population are urgently needed.
- 双方の主張を踏まえた上で、裁判所は和解を勧めた。そうほうのしゅちょうをふまえたうえで、さいばんしょはわかいをすすめた。Having taken both parties' arguments into account, the court recommended a settlement.
を踏まえて, に基づいて or をもとに?
に基づいて indicates a direct, often formal basis: you apply a rule, data, a contract (法律に基づいて, データに基づいて). をもとに refers to the raw material you draw something from (実話をもとにした映画, “a film based on a true story”).
を踏まえて is broader and more considered: you take X into account, you've absorbed it, then you make a decision that may go beyond it. You don't say 実話を踏まえた映画, but 実話をもとにした映画.
| Expression | Role of X | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜を踏まえて | taken into account before deciding | 反省を踏まえて改善する |
| 〜に基づいて | basis that's applied | 規則に基づいて処理する |
| 〜をもとに | raw material | 実話をもとにした映画 |
- この映画は実話をもとにしている。このえいがはじつわをもとにしている。This film is based on a true story.
- 契約に基づいて、代金をお支払いください。けいやくにもとづいて、だいきんをおしはらいください。Please pay the amount in accordance with the contract.
Common mistakes
- Taking it literally: 〜を踏まえて has nothing to do with “trampling”; on the contrary, it's carefully building on something.
- Using it for a source of inspiration: a film or novel “based on” something is をもとに, not を踏まえて.
- Forgetting that X must already be known: you can't “take into account” a result you don't have yet.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the San'yō Line (Law and institutions) of the Shinkansen.