With all one's heart: 〜をこめて
N + を込めて／を込めた + N
N (feeling, wish) + を込めて: doing something while putting that feeling into it, often for someone. Never with a concrete object.
In short
込める means “to put in, to load”. 〜を込めて indicates that you put a feeling, an intention or energy into an act: writing, giving, singing, cooking. What you put in is invisible: 心, 気持ち, 願い, 愛情, 感謝, 思い. Neutral register, very common in letters, cards, speeches and in describing products “made with care”.
- 心を込めて手紙を書いた。こころをこめててがみをかいた。I wrote this letter with all my heart.
- 感謝の気持ちを込めて、先生に花を贈った。かんしゃのきもちをこめて、せんせいにはなをおくった。I gave my teacher flowers as a token of my gratitude.
- 一つ一つ、愛情を込めて手作りしています。ひとつひとつ、あいじょうをこめててづくりしています。We make each piece by hand, with love.
The basics
込める is “to load, to fill”: you load an act with a feeling. The letter, the gift or the dish becomes a carrier of what you feel, and that feeling is meant for someone.
The kanji 込 is the same as in 込む (“to be crowded”): don't confuse 込めて (to load, transitive) with 込んで (to be packed with people).
I wrote this letter with all my heart.
- noun
- verb
- 選手たちは応援してくれた人への思いを込めて走った。せんしゅたちはおうえんしてくれたひとへのおもいをこめてはしった。The athletes ran with all their hearts, thinking of everyone who had cheered them on.
How to form it
The feeling noun takes を, then 込めて before a verb, or 込めた before a noun. In writing, you also find the continuative form 込め. It can be written in kanji (を込めて) or kana (をこめて): both are common.
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| N を込めて + verb | act while putting in… | 心を込めて歌う |
| N を込めた + N | a… filled with… | 願いを込めたお守り |
| N を込め、… | written form | 感謝の意を込め、記念品を贈ります |
| N の思いを込めて | with thoughts of… | ふるさとへの思いを込めて |
- 家族の健康を願う気持ちを込めたお守りかぞくのけんこうをねがうきもちをこめたおまもりA good-luck charm filled with the wish for one's family's good health
- この商品は、名古屋の職人が一つずつ心を込めて作っています。このしょうひんは、なごやのしょくにんがひとつずつこころをこめてつくっています。This product is lovingly made, one piece at a time, by craftsmen in Nagoya.
What you can “put in”
What you put in with 込める is intangible: a feeling (愛情, 感謝, 怒り), a wish (願い, 祈り), a thought (思い), or energy (力を込めて “with all one's might”). For an ingredient or a concrete object, you use 入れる: 塩を入れる, not ×塩を込める.
The feeling is generally aimed at someone: the person receiving the letter, the gift, the song.
- 力を込めてドアを押した。ちからをこめてどあをおした。I pushed the door with all my might.
込めて, 持って, で
〜を持って describes an attitude you keep within yourself (自信を持って “confidently”, 責任を持って “taking responsibility”): it isn't passed on. 〜を込めて passes the feeling on through the act, towards a recipient. As for で, it simply marks the means (ペンで書く).
| Form | Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜を込めて | feeling passed on through the act | 愛を込めて書く |
| 〜を持って | attitude kept within oneself | 自信を持って話す |
| 〜で | means, instrument | 手で書く |
| 〜を入れる | put in a concrete object | 砂糖を入れる |
- 自信を持って発表してください。じしんをもってはっぴょうしてください。Give your presentation with confidence.
Common mistakes
- Using it with a concrete object: ×塩を込めて. For an ingredient, it's 入れる.
- Mixing up 込めて (load with a feeling) and 込んで (be crowded: 電車が込んでいる).
- Translating it literally as “stuffing my heart in”: in English, say “with all my heart”, “with love”, “as a token of”.
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 Tsurumai Line (Arts and letters) of the Nagoya lines.