N2 · Expressions (N2)
にわたって: across, throughout
a whole stretch of time or space
にわたって says that something covers the whole of a long period or a wide area.
At a glance
- Remember
- にわたって: across the whole of a long time or a wide area — news, not small talk.
- Form
- 三日間にわたってover three days
- Signal words
- 〜にわたって
- 〜にわたり
- 〜にわたる
- 長年
- Trap
- Wrong:バスを十分にわたって待った。Right:バスを十分ぐらい待った。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| over three days | 三日間にわたって |
| over many years | 長年にわたって |
| across the whole country | 全国にわたって |
| over a wide area | 広い範囲にわたって |
| research spanning ten years | 十年にわたる研究 |
| over several sessions (written) | 数回にわたり |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Noun of time, space or number + にわたって: across all of it.
工事は半年にわたって続いた。The construction work went on for half a year.
Before a noun: にわたる.
二時間にわたる話し合いの結果、結論が出た。After two hours of discussion, a conclusion was reached.
The span is large enough to be worth stressing.
大雨で、県内の広い地域にわたって停電した。The heavy rain caused power cuts over a wide part of the prefecture.
In conversation, a plain time expression is usually enough.
三日間ずっと雨だった。It rained for three days straight.
Example sentences
彼は三十年にわたってこの町の医者を務めた。He served as the town's doctor for thirty years.
台風の影響は九州全域にわたった。The typhoon's effects extended across the whole of Kyushu.
試験は二日間にわたって行われる。The exam will be held over two days.
長年にわたる努力が実った。Years of effort finally paid off.
彼女の研究は多くの分野にわたっている。Her research spans many fields.
その問題については、数回にわたり話し合いが行われた。The issue was discussed over several sessions.
7 more example sentences
雪は一週間にわたって降り続けた。The snow kept falling for a whole week.
会議は五時間にわたった。The meeting went on for five hours.
事故の影響で、十キロにわたる渋滞ができた。The accident caused a ten-kilometre traffic jam.
祭りは三日間にわたって行われる。The festival takes place over three days.
彼は長年にわたり、子どもたちのために働いてきた。For many years he has worked for children.
調査は全国にわたって行われた。The survey was carried out across the whole country.
二回にわたる手術を受けた。He underwent two operations.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "for ten minutes" uses the same "for" as "for ten years", and learners reach for the impressive-sounding pattern. But にわたって announces a large span — years, regions, many sessions — and ten minutes at a bus stop is just a length of time.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
渡る is "to cross", and にわたって after a noun of time, space or number says that something stretches across all of it: 三日間にわたって会議が開かれた, "the conference was held over three days"; 広い範囲にわたって雪が降った, "snow fell over a wide area".
The noun is a stretch that can be measured or counted, and usually a large one: 十年, 全国, 五回, 二百キロ, 各分野. The pattern stresses the size of the scale. Before a noun it becomes にわたる: 長年にわたる研究, "research spanning many years".
It is formal and at home in news, reports and speeches. In conversation the same sentence usually needs nothing at all: 三日間雨が降った, "it rained for three days", or 三日間ずっと.
English "for" or "over" can introduce a short stretch too, and learners attach にわたって to it: 五分にわたって待った sounds absurdly grand. The pattern needs a span large enough to be worth announcing.
A closer look
にわたって and をとおして
を通して also means "throughout", especially with a period: 一年を通して暖かい, "it is warm all year round". It describes a state that holds without a break.
にわたって stresses the extent — how long, how far, how many — and suits events and their effects: a conference, a power cut, a series of talks. Asked "how big was it?", the answer is にわたって; asked "was it like that all the time?", the answer is を通して.
Worth knowing (1)
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にわたり in writing
As with many patterns of this kind, written Japanese drops て and uses the ます-stem: にわたり. It reads like a report and is common in news headlines and official documents.
本日から三日間にわたり、点検を行います。Inspections will be carried out over three days, starting today.
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