Japanese grammar
What does ～に～を重ねて mean? Japanese grammar N1
～に～を重ねて means … upon … (repeated multiple times).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N1 |
|---|---|
| Structure | N + に + N + を重ねて |
| Romaji | ni wokasanete |
| Meaning | … upon … (repeated multiple times) |
Forming it
| Noun (failure) | 失敗 + に + 失敗 + を重ねて |
|---|---|
| Noun (hardship) | 苦労 + に + 苦労 + を重ねて |
How to use it
Repeats the SAME noun to emphasize that something piles up, one after another.
- 「AにAを重ねて」 repeats the SAME noun to emphasize: this piles up, time after time.
- The noun is usually 失敗・苦労・議論・努力 — something that accumulates over time.
- The following clause states the result of that accumulation (exhaustion, eventual success/giving up).
Examples
彼は失敗に失敗を重ねて、ついに成功した。
After failure upon failure, he finally succeeded.
議論に議論を重ねて、ようやく結論が出た。
After discussion upon discussion, a conclusion was finally reached.
Keep in mind
- The two nouns must be THE SAME.
- The clause that follows states the result of accumulation.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong失敗に成功を重ねて、疲れた。
Failure after failure, I'm exhausted.
Correct失敗に失敗を重ねて、疲れた。
The two nouns must be THE SAME — this is a repeating structure emphasizing accumulation.
-
Wrong一度失敗に失敗を重ねた。
Over many years, failure piled on failure.
Correct何年も失敗に失敗を重ねた。
This pattern describes a process REPEATED many times, not used for a single instance.
Exam tips
- 「AにAを重ねて」 = A piling up on A (repeated many times); the two nouns must match.