To correspond to: 〜にあたる
N + にあたる／にあたります
N + にあたる: correspond to, be equivalent to (two systems), be (by family relation), fall on (a date). Not to be confused with にあたって (on embarking on).
In short
〜にあたる says that one thing corresponds to another, or “falls” on it: “to be equivalent to, to correspond to, to be (by family relation), to fall on (a day)”. You use it for equivalences between two systems (the Japanese 県 corresponds to the French département), family relationships (私のおじにあたる人) and dates (今日は母の誕生日にあたる). Neutral to written register: explanations, guides, dictionaries.
- 今日は母の誕生日にあたる。きょうはははのたんじょうびにあたる。Today happens to be my mother's birthday.
- 日本の「県」は、フランスの「デパルトマン」にあたる。にほんの「けん」は、ふらんすの「でぱるとまん」にあたる。The Japanese “ken” corresponds to the French département.
- この方は母の兄、つまり私のおじにあたります。このかたはははのあに、つまりわたしのおじにあたります。This person is my mother's older brother — in other words, my uncle.
- 「ありがとう」にあたるフランス語は「メルシー」だ。「ありがとう」にあたるふらんすごは「めるしー」だ。The French word that corresponds to “arigatō” is “merci”.
The basics
あたる (当たる) is “to hit, to fall on”. With 〜にあたる, one thing “falls on” another, meaning it corresponds to it. It's used in three cases: equivalences between two systems (words, institutions, units, roles), family relationships (“by family, he's my uncle”) and dates (“this day falls on a Sunday, falls on the festival”).
It's the phrase of explanation: you find it in dictionaries, guides, presentations, and whenever you translate a Japanese reality for a foreigner.
The Japanese “ken” corresponds to the French département.
- noun
- verb
- 「いただきます」にあたる表現は、フランス語にはない。「いただきます」にあたるひょうげんは、ふらんすごにはない。French has no expression that corresponds to “itadakimasu”.
- 父の兄は、私にとっておじにあたる。ちちのあには、わたしにとっておじにあたる。My father's older brother is my uncle.
The uses of あたる
In the sense of equivalence, あたる is often written in hiragana; in the concrete sense (being in the sun or the rain, a ball that hits, winning the lottery), the kanji 当たる is kept. Before a noun, the form doesn't change: 半分にあたる量 (an amount equal to half).
| Use | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| equivalence | 県はデパルトマンにあたる | the ken corresponds to the département |
| family relation | 私のおじにあたる人 | someone who is my uncle |
| date | 誕生日が日曜日にあたる | the birthday falls on a Sunday |
| proportion | 全体の半分にあたる | make up half of the total |
| concrete sense (reminder) | 日に当たる・雨に当たる | be in the sun, get caught in the rain |
- 一年の半分にあたる六か月を、海外で過ごした。いちねんのはんぶんにあたるろっかげつを、かいがいですごした。I spent six months — half the year — abroad.
- 植物は、よく日に当たる場所に置いてください。しょくぶつは、よくひにあたるばしょにおいてください。Put the plants somewhere that gets plenty of sun.
にあたる, にあたって, と同じ
にあたって (line 1) means “on embarking on” and comes before an important step: 開店にあたって. にあたる, a verb at the end of a clause or before a noun, expresses a correspondence. Same verb あたる, but a different construction and meaning.
と同じ says two things are identical. にあたる says they hold the same place in two different systems, without being quite the same: the Japanese high school and the French lycée aren't identical, but one corresponds to the other.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| にあたって | on embarking on | 開店にあたって挨拶する |
| にあたる | correspond to, play the same role | 県はデパルトマンにあたる |
| と同じ | be identical | この本はあの本と同じだ |
- 留学するにあたって、パスポートを取った。りゅうがくするにあたって、ぱすぽーとをとった。Before going to study abroad, I got a passport.
- 日本の高校は、フランスのリセにあたる。にほんのこうこうは、ふらんすのりせにあたる。The Japanese kōkō corresponds to the French lycée.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up にあたる (correspond to) and にあたって (on embarking on): “開店にあたる” means nothing in the sense of “on the occasion of the opening”.
- Translating it literally as “to hit”: in 県はデパルトマンにあたる, there's no contact at all, just a correspondence.
- Taking it for perfect identity: にあたる says “plays the same role”, not “is exactly the same thing” (と同じ).
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 N2 point is on the Meikō Line (The economy and trade) of the Nagoya lines.