にかかわる — To Concern / A Matter Of
Indicates that something is deeply connected to, affects, or is a critical matter of the preceding noun. It often attaches to weighty nouns such as 命 (life), 名誉 (honor), or 信用 (trust), stressing that the outcome could seriously harm them. Translated as 'to be a matter of', 'to concern', or 'to affect'.
Structure
[Noun] + にかかわる
Examples
これは会社の信用にかかわる問題だ。
Kore wa kaisha no shin'you ni kakawaru mondai da.
This is a problem that affects the company's credibility.
信用にかかわる modifies 問題, marking it as critical to the company's trust.
無理な運転は命にかかわる。
Muri na unten wa inochi ni kakawaru.
Reckless driving can be a matter of life and death.
命にかかわる = 'affects/endangers life'; stresses grave consequences.
その発言は彼の名誉にかかわる。
Sono hatsugen wa kare no meiyo ni kakawaru.
That statement affects his honor.
名誉にかかわる shows the remark could seriously damage his reputation.
• Typically pairs with serious nouns: 命, 名誉, 信用, 評判, 将来. • Implies a significant, often negative, impact. • Register: formal to neutral; common in news and business.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones にかかわる is tested against.
vs に関する／に関して
に関する simply means 'regarding / about' a topic neutrally; にかかわる implies the thing critically affects or endangers something important.
vs に関わらず (にかかわらず)
Despite the similar kanji, にかかわらず means 'regardless of'; にかかわる means 'to critically concern/affect'.
More expressions
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