N2 · Expressions (N2)
をめぐって: over, surrounding
the issue that people argue about
をめぐって names the issue at the centre of a dispute, debate or competition.
At a glance
- Remember
- をめぐって: the bone of contention. について: just the topic.
- Form
- 遺産をめぐってover the inheritance
- Signal words
- 〜をめぐって
- 〜をめぐり
- 〜をめぐる
- Trap
- Wrong:日本の歴史をめぐって本を読んだ。Right:日本の歴史について本を読んだ。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| over the inheritance | 遺産をめぐって |
| over the plan | 計画をめぐって |
| the debate about taxes | 税金をめぐる議論 |
| the dispute over land | 土地をめぐる争い |
| over the title (contest) | タイトルをめぐって |
| compare: everyday | お金のことで |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Noun + をめぐって: the issue at the centre of a dispute.
新しい法律をめぐって意見が分かれている。Opinion is divided over the new law.
Before a noun: をめぐる.
原発をめぐる議論が続いている。The debate over nuclear power continues.
The second half is about people disagreeing or competing.
優勝をめぐって、三つのチームが争っている。Three teams are competing for the championship.
For a neutral "about", use について.
日本の文化についてレポートを書いた。I wrote a report on Japanese culture.
Example sentences
ダムの建設をめぐって、住民が反対している。Residents are opposing the construction of the dam.
子どもの教育をめぐって、夫婦の意見が合わない。The couple disagree over their children's education.
土地をめぐる争いが何年も続いた。The dispute over the land went on for years.
会議では、予算をめぐって激しい議論があった。At the meeting there was a fierce argument over the budget.
次の社長をめぐり、社内が二つに分かれた。The company split in two over who would be the next president.
選挙をめぐるニュースが毎日流れている。There is news about the election every day.
7 more example sentences
遺産をめぐって、兄弟がけんかになった。The brothers fell out over the inheritance.
新しい駅の場所をめぐって、話し合いが続いている。Talks continue over where the new station should go.
金メダルをめぐって、二人の選手が争った。Two athletes battled it out for the gold medal.
消費税をめぐる議論は終わらない。The debate over consumption tax never ends.
その発言をめぐって、批判が集まった。The remark drew a lot of criticism.
観光客の増加をめぐって、町の意見は割れている。The town is divided over the growing number of tourists.
動物実験をめぐる問題は簡単ではない。The issue of animal testing is not a simple one.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "about" fits a dispute and a book alike. をめぐって needs people going round an issue in argument or competition; reading about history is a topic, and a topic takes について.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
巡る is "to go round", and をめぐって names the thing that a discussion, a quarrel or a contest goes round: 遺産をめぐって兄弟が争った, "the brothers fought over the inheritance"; 新しい空港をめぐって議論が続いている, "the debate over the new airport continues".
The second half is almost always about people disagreeing or competing: 議論する, 対立する, 争う, 意見が分かれる, 問題になる. Before a noun the form is をめぐる: 税金をめぐる議論, "the debate about taxes".
It is formal and typical of news and commentary. In conversation the same idea is usually について or のことで: お金のことでけんかした, "we quarrelled about money".
English "about" and "over" are broad, and learners use をめぐって for any topic: 日本の歴史をめぐって本を読んだ is wrong, because reading a book is not a dispute. For a neutral "about", Japanese uses について.
A closer look
をめぐって and について
について names a subject and says nothing about how people feel: a lecture, a book, a question. をめぐって names a subject that several parties want something from or disagree about, and implies that there are sides.
That is why the same noun can take either. 環境問題について話す is a talk about environmental problems; 環境問題をめぐって対立する is a clash over them. A news headline with をめぐり tells the reader to expect a conflict.
Worth knowing (1)
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In headlines: をめぐり
Headlines and news reports prefer the written form をめぐり, often with the verb left to the end or dropped altogether: 予算をめぐり対立, "clash over budget".
新しい計画をめぐり、市と住民が対立している。The city and its residents are at odds over the new plan.
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