N2 Limits, Extent, and Range

~にわたって: meaning, usage and examples

~にわたって means: over... / throughout... / for...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 二時間にじかんにわたって、会議かいぎが続つづいた。

   The meeting continued for two hours.

2. 全国ぜんこくにわたって、調査ちょうさが行おこなわれた。

   A survey was conducted throughout the nation.

3. 工事こうじは三さんか月げつにわたって行おこなわれる予定よていだ。

   The construction work is scheduled to go on for three months.

4. 台風たいふうの影響えいきょうで、広ひろい範囲はんいにわたって停電ていでんが起おきた。

   Because of the typhoon, there were power outages over a wide area.

When to use it

Means "over" or "throughout" a whole period, area or range. 三日間みっかかんにわたって会議かいぎが行おこなわれた means "The conference was held over three days." It stresses the scale: the whole span of time, the whole region or many fields. Typical in news: 十年じゅうねんにわたる研究けんきゅう (ten years of research).

Nuance

Formal; news, reports and announcements. The noun before it is a large or extended range, such as 期間きかん, 全国ぜんこく, 広ひろい範囲はんい or 数すう回かい. にわたり is the written form, and にわたる / にわたった modify nouns.

Compare

を通とおして means "throughout" a period, continuously: 一年いちねんを通とおして暖あたたかい. にわたって stresses how large the span is: 五年ごねんにわたって調査ちょうさした. にかけて gives a rough start and end: 夜よるから朝あさにかけて雪ゆきが降ふる. Only にわたって puts weight on how wide or long the range is.

Tip: Look for a big number or a wide area right before it: 十年じゅうねん, 全国ぜんこく, 広範囲こうはんい, 五回ごかい. A tiny span like 五ご分ふん sounds odd.