7 「について」about, regarding.

Grammar

Grammar: Noun + について

The Japanese grammar point "について" (ni tsuite) is commonly used to indicate the topic or subject of discussion. It can be translated to English as "about" or "regarding." This grammar pattern is frequently encountered in both written and spoken Japanese and is particularly useful for expressing the focus of conversation or providing additional information about something.

私は日本の文化について研究しています。

I am researching about Japanese culture.

私たちは今後の計画について話し合いました。

We discussed about the future plans.

この本は、宇宙について書かれています。

This book is about the universe.

について + の:

When "について" is followed by "の" (no), it is used to modify a noun directly. This creates a noun phrase that describes what the discussion is about. This structure is often used to specify the content or subject matter.

彼は最近の経済情勢についての論文を書いています。

He is writing a paper about the recent economic situation.

この問題についての情報を探しています。

I am looking for information about this problem.

について + は:

When "について" is followed by "は" (wa), it serves to mark the topic of discussion. The entire phrase "について" functions as the topic marker. This structure is used to introduce the topic and provide information or explanations about it.

その件については、お答えいたしかねます。

Regarding that matter, I'm unable to respond. (Implying ability to respond to other matters)

Here, "その件については" (sono ken ni tsuite wa) marks the topic of discussion, and the following statement provides information or limitations related to that topic.

In summary, "について + の" is used to modify a noun directly to specify the content, while "について + は" marks the entire phrase as the topic of discussion and provides information or explanations about it.