JLPT N3
について
About / Concerning
Structure
Noun について
How it works
The grammar point について (ni tsuite) is used to indicate the topic or subject matter one is thinking, speaking, or researching about. It is typically followed by verbs related to communication or mental activity, such as 話す (to talk), 書く (to write), or 調べる (to investigate/research).
Examples
日本の文化について調べています。
I am researching Japanese culture.
将来の夢について作文を書きました。
I wrote an essay about my dreams for the future.
その問題について話し合いましょう。
Let's discuss that problem.
Common mistakes
Do not confuse について with に関して (ni kanshite). While similar, について is more common in daily speech, whereas に関して is more formal and used for broader relationships.
Tip
If you want to use について to modify a noun directly, it must change to についての (e.g., 'A book about Japan' becomes '日本についての本').
More JLPT N3 grammar
See について in real Japanese
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