Throughout, over the whole of: 〜にわたって
N (duration, area, number) + にわたって／にわたり／にわたる + N
N (duration, area, number) + にわたって (written: にわたり; before a noun: にわたる): over the whole extent of, stressing scale. Written register: the press and reports.
In short
〜にわたって says that an action or state covers a whole extent: a duration (三日間), an area (全国), a number of times (五回), a range of fields (多方面). “Throughout, over the whole of, across, over… sessions”. わたる means “to cross, to stretch from end to end”. The expression stresses scale, often with a number. Written register: the press, bulletins, reports.
- 会議は三日間にわたって行われた。かいぎはみっかかんにわたっておこなわれた。The conference was held over three full days.
- 台風の影響で、全国にわたって大雨が降った。たいふうのえいきょうで、ぜんこくにわたっておおあめがふった。Because of the typhoon, heavy rain fell across the whole country.
- 彼は十年にわたり、名古屋城の歴史を研究してきた。かれはじゅうねんにわたり、なごやじょうのれきしをけんきゅうしてきた。He has been researching the history of Nagoya Castle for ten years.
- 二時間にわたる手術は、無事に終わった。にじかんにわたるしゅじゅつは、ぶじにおわった。The two-hour operation went off without a hitch.
The basics
わたる is “to cross, to go from one end to the other”. 〜にわたって stresses that an action covers the whole extent stated, from start to finish: “for three whole days”, “across the entire country”, “over ten sessions”. So the noun before it expresses an extent: a duration, an area, a number of times, a range of fields.
The emphasis is on scale: it's long, it's vast, it's repeated. It's the tone of newspapers, weather bulletins and reports. In conversation, you'd more simply say 三日間ずっと or 全国で.
He has been researching the history of Nagoya Castle for ten years.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 大雨は一週間にわたって続いた。おおあめはいっしゅうかんにわたってつづいた。The heavy rain went on for a whole week.
- 東海地方の広い地域にわたって、雪が降った。とうかいちほうのひろいちいきにわたって、ゆきがふった。Snow fell across a wide area of the Tōkai region.
How to form it
You attach にわたって to a noun of extent, very often with a number. にわたり is the written continuative form. Before a noun, you use にわたる (most common) or にわたった. In this expression, わたる is usually written in hiragana.
| Extent | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| a duration | 三時間にわたって話し合う | talk for three hours straight |
| an area | 全国にわたって | across the whole country |
| a number of times | 五回にわたる調査 | a survey in five rounds |
| fields | 多方面にわたる活動 | activities spanning many fields |
- 調査は五回にわたって行われた。ちょうさはごかいにわたっておこなわれた。The survey was carried out in five rounds.
- 彼の活動は、音楽から政治まで多方面にわたる。かれのかつどうは、おんがくからせいじまでたほうめんにわたる。His activities span many fields, from music to politics.
にわたって, を通じて, から〜まで, から〜にかけて
から〜まで (N5) sets two precise limits, without stressing scale. を通じて (N3) means “throughout” a period (一年を通じて), without any sense of feat or vastness. から〜にかけて (line 3) sketches a fuzzy zone between two landmarks. にわたって, for its part, highlights the total extent, often an impressive one.
It always needs an extent, never a point: “三時にわたって” makes no sense, because “three o'clock sharp” has no duration. You say 三時間にわたって (for three hours).
| Expression | Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| にわたって | the whole extent, with scale | 十日間にわたって続く |
| を通じて | throughout a period | 一年を通じて暖かい |
| から〜まで | two precise limits | 九時から五時まで働く |
| から〜にかけて | approximate area or period | 夜から朝にかけて雨 |
- 名古屋では、一年を通じてさまざまな祭りが開かれる。なごやでは、いちねんをつうじてさまざまなまつりがひらかれる。In Nagoya, all kinds of festivals are held throughout the year.
- 九時から五時まで、会社で働いている。くじからごじまで、かいしゃではたらいている。I work at the office from nine to five. (precise limits)
Common mistakes
- Using it with a precise point: “三時にわたって” is wrong; it needs an extent, 三時間にわたって.
- Using it for a short, ordinary duration: “五分にわたってシャワーを浴びた” is comical. にわたって stresses scale.
- Putting にわたって before a noun: you say 二時間にわたる手術, not “二時間にわたって手術” as a noun phrase.
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 Meijō Line (Politics and society) of the Nagoya lines.