Lesson 25
Relation & occasion: together with / on the pretext of
- 1 〜と相まって ~to aimatte combined with ~ (the effect grows) A formal, written form: two factors come together and make the result even bigger.
- 2 〜にかこつけて ~ni kakotsukete on the pretext of ~ One reason on the surface, the real wish underneath — 'using ~ as an excuse'.
- 3 〜にかまけて ~ni kamakete (too) taken up with ~ (and neglecting other things) So caught up in one thing that something you should do got neglected — often said in self-reproach.
- 4 〜をおして ~o oshite in spite of ~ (pushing through illness / opposition) Knowing there is illness, injury or opposition, you push through and do it anyway.
- 5 〜にまつわる ~ni matsuwaru connected with ~ / surrounding ~ (stories, legends) Stories, legends, superstitions or episodes that wrap around something — 'connected with it'.
- 6 〜をひかえて ~o hikaete with ~ coming up soon Shows the state of a person or place when a big event — an exam, a wedding, an opening — is just round the corner.
- 7 〜を経て ~o hete after going through ~ / via ~ A formal form: after passing through a period, process or stage, you reach the next state.
- 8 〜に先駆けて ~ni sakigakete ahead of ~ (first, leading the way) Doing something before everyone else, opening the way — 'leading the way'.
Lesson check
All 8 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
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「日本語能力試験を来週に＿＿、図書館は学生でいっぱいだ。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The exam hasn't happened yet — it's approaching.
「Nを＋時間＋にひかえて」= with ~ coming up. 経て is for a process already passed; 先駆けて takes 「に」and means 'ahead of others'; おして is pushing through an obstacle.
「一年間の研修＿＿、正式に社員になった。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The training is finished, then a new state.
研修を経て = after going through the training. をひかえて is for something still to come; にかまけて is followed by a bad result; にまつわる is followed by a noun (話・伝説).
「彼は家族の反対＿＿、日本の大学に進学した。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Knowing the opposition, he pushed ahead.
反対をおして = pushing past the opposition. と相まって = two causes combining; にかこつけて = an excuse (opposition can't be an excuse for this); にまつわる needs a noun after it.
「スマホのゲーム＿＿、大切な書類の締め切りを忘れていた。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Caught up in a game, something slipped.
ゲームにかまけて = caught up in the game (so the deadline was forgotten). にかこつけて = a deliberate excuse — it doesn't match 'forgot'; を経て and に先駆けて don't fit the meaning at all.
「この町には、古い橋＿＿不思議な話が残っている。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:A story wound around the bridge.
古い橋にまつわる話 = a story connected with the old bridge. を経た = passed through; と相まった = combined and boosted; をひかえた = coming up soon — none fits 'a story'.
「部長は出張＿＿、毎回地方のおいしい店を食べ歩いている。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Work is the shown reason; food is the real wish.
出張にかこつけて = using business trips as an excuse. にかまけて needs something neglected after it; をおして = pushing through an obstacle (a trip isn't one); と相まって is followed by a boosted effect.
「美しい景色がおいしい料理＿＿、この旅館は人気を集めている。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Two good things combine and boost popularity.
料理と相まって = combined with the delicious food. を経て = after going through; をおして = pushing through an obstacle; に先駆けて = ahead of others — none means two qualities blending.
「この市は全国＿＿、外国人のための相談窓口を作った。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:First in the whole country.
全国に先駆けて = ahead of every other city in the country, leading the way. をひかえて = with an event approaching; を経て = after passing through; にかまけて = neglecting through absorption — none fits 全国.
Your score: /8