Given the occasion: 〜とあって
Noun・plain form + とあって
Noun・plain form + とあって: “given this special occasion”, followed by an observation (crowds, commotion, enthusiasm). Journalistic style; never followed by an order or intention.
In short
〜とあって: “given that, this being a special occasion”. You mention a special situation (a public holiday, a first, a celebrity's visit), then the observation that naturally follows from it (crowds, traffic jams, excitement). It's the typical construction of reports and articles.
- 連休とあって、高速道路は朝から渋滞している。れんきゅうとあって、こうそくどうろはあさからじゅうたいしている。It being a long weekend, the motorway has been jammed since the morning.
- 人気俳優が来るとあって、会場には大勢のファンが詰めかけた。にんきはいゆうがくるとあって、かいじょうにはおおぜいのふぁんがつめかけた。With a hugely popular actor due to appear, crowds of fans packed the venue.
- 十年ぶりの優勝とあって、町中がお祭り騒ぎだ。じゅうねんぶりのゆうしょうとあって、まちじゅうがおまつりさわぎだ。With their first title in ten years, the whole town is celebrating.
The basics
〜とあって links an exceptional circumstance with what you observe: “since it's X, naturally Y”. X is something special (a festival, a first, a sale, a star's visit, the last day) and Y a concrete observation, often crowds, commotion, enthusiasm.
It's the view of a journalist describing a scene: the sentence observes; it gives no order and expresses no intention.
It being a long weekend, the motorway has been jammed since the morning.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 連休とあって、高速道路は朝から渋滞している。れんきゅうとあって、こうそくどうろはあさからじゅうたいしている。It being a long weekend, the motorway has been jammed since the morning.
- 最終日とあって、展覧会には長蛇の列ができた。さいしゅうびとあって、てんらんかいにはちょうだのれつができた。It was the last day, so an enormous queue formed outside the exhibition.
How to form it
It goes after a noun or a clause in the plain form. With a noun, no だ. The variant とあっては introduces a circumstance that makes what follows inevitable, often with a negative.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + とあって | given this occasion | 連休とあって |
| Plain form + とあって | given that (special fact) | 人気俳優が来るとあって |
| 〜とあっては | under these circumstances, impossible to… | 社長の命令とあっては断れない |
| 〜とあれば | if it's a matter of (condition) | 子どものためとあれば |
- 社長の頼みとあっては、断るわけにはいかない。しゃちょうのたのみとあっては、ことわるわけにはいかない。Since it's a request from the president, there's no way I can refuse.
- 君のためとあれば、どこへでも行くよ。きみのためとあれば、どこへでもいくよ。If it's for you, I'll go anywhere.
とあって, だけあって, ので or とあれば?
ので is neutral and universal: any cause, any follow-up (including orders and intentions). とあって is kept for a special circumstance and an observation. だけあって (N2) says the result lives up to the reputation: “as you'd expect from” (プロだけあって上手だ).
とあれば is a condition (“if it's a matter of”) and can introduce an intention. とあって is about a real situation that's already there.
| Expression | Nuance | Possible follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| 〜とあって | special circumstance → observation | description, never an order |
| 〜だけあって | living up to its reputation | praise or observation |
| 〜ので | neutral cause | anything (order, intention…) |
| 〜とあれば | condition “if it's a matter of” | intention, commitment |
- さすがプロだけあって、仕上がりが美しい。さすがぷろだけあって、しあがりがうつくしい。He's a real professional: the finish is superb.
- 雨が降りそうなので、傘を持っていきなさい。あめがふりそうなので、かさをもっていきなさい。It looks like rain, so take an umbrella.
Common mistakes
- Putting an order or an intention in the second part: “×連休とあって、早く出発しよう” is wrong; you say 連休なので、早く出発しよう.
- Using it for an ordinary cause: とあって assumes a special circumstance (a festival, a first, a rare event).
- Confusing it with とあれば: とあって describes a real situation, とあれば sets a condition.
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 Tōkaidō Line (The press and current affairs) of the Shinkansen.