JLPT N1Spoken and writtenCritical or wry

にかこつけてusing … as an excuse

An occasion becomes cover for what someone wanted to do anyway: the business trip is the excuse, the old friend is the point. Critical when said of others, wry when said of yourself.

出しゅっ張ちょうにかこつけて、学がく生せい時じ代だいの友ゆう人じんに会あってきた。

I used the business trip as an excuse to go and see a friend from my student days.

How to form it

Noun + にかこつけて

The occasion that gives cover: 出しゅっ張ちょう, 仕し事ごと, 研けん修しゅう, 誕たん生じょう日び, 病びょう気き. A clause takes こと first, but a noun is usual.

After it: What they were really after, or what they wanted to get out of.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation among adults, essays, and news about misconduct. People say it as well as write it.

In use

会かい社しゃの研けん修しゅうにかこつけて、週しゅう末まつは観かん光こうを楽たのしんだ。

I used the company training as an excuse for a weekend of sightseeing.

システム障しょう害がいにかこつけて、経けい営えい陣じんは不ふ正せい会かい計けいの公こう表ひょうを先さき延のばしにした。

Management used the system failure as a pretext for putting off the disclosure of the accounting fraud.

夫おっとは仕し事ごとにかこつけて、家いえのことは何なにもしない。

My husband uses his job as an excuse to do nothing around the house.

Cover for getting out of something.

An excuse, not a reason

The occasion is usually real: there was a trip, a birthday, a cold. But it is only loosely tied to what was done: a training course is no reason to go sightseeing. So a plain cause can't take にかこつけて.

風邪かぜで会かい社しゃを休やすんだ。

I was off work with a cold.

The cold was the reason.

風邪かぜを口こう実じつに会かい社しゃを休やすんだ。

I took the day off work, giving a cold as my excuse.

The cold was the excuse given. The plain way to say it: 口こう実じつ is "an excuse".

風邪かぜにかこつけて会かい社しゃを休やすんだ。

I used my cold as an excuse to take the day off work.

Most likely there was a cold, but it was hardly a reason to stay home: it came in handy. Said knowingly, as an admission or an accusation.

Close neighbours

をいいことにN1

An opening, not an excuse: something convenient is true, such as the boss being away, and someone uses it to do what they shouldn't.

上じょう司しが出しゅっ張ちょう中ちゅうなのをいいことに、彼かれは毎まい日にち早はやく帰かえっていた。

He took advantage of his boss being away on a business trip and went home early every day.

にかまけてN1

It looks alike. Someone is too taken up with one thing to attend to another, and nobody planned anything.

忙いそがしさにかまけて、家か族ぞくへの連れん絡らくを怠おこたってしまった。

I let being busy get in the way, and didn't keep in touch with my family.

Check yourself

1What is the writer saying about him?

部ぶ長ちょうは視し察さつにかこつけて、毎まい年とし温おん泉せん地ちを回まわっている。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which sentence sounds natural?

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

彼かれは取しゅ材ざいにかこつけて、以い前ぜんから会あいたかった俳はい優ゆうに近ちかづいた。

He used the interview as a pretext to get close to an actor he had long wanted to meet.

電でん車しゃが遅おくれたことにかこつけて、彼かれは午ご前ぜんの会かい議ぎを全ぜん部ぶ欠けっ席せきした。

He used the train delay as an excuse to miss every one of the morning's meetings.

A clause, with こと.

会かい議ぎが早はやく終おわったことにかこつけて、皆みんなで昼ひるから乾かん杯ぱいした。

The meeting ended early, and we made that our excuse for a drink together in the middle of the day.