にあたって

Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

on the occasion of; at the time of; when doing

usually written using kana alone

Formal expression used before a noun or verb to mark a special occasion or the start of an action. Often used in speeches, announcements, and formal writing. The related form に当たり is more formal and often used in written language.

Grammar

にあたって・にあたりon setting out to doN2

Kanji

当hit, right, appropriate

Related words

にあたり
に当たり is a more formal, written-style variant of に当たって, both meaning 'on the occasion of' or 'when doing'.
際さいに
際に is a more neutral, general-purpose equivalent usable in both casual and formal speech, while に当たって is reserved for formal or ceremonial contexts.
にあたっては
にあたって and にあたっては mean the same thing, but the は in にあたっては emphasizes the introduced matter as the topic or condition under discussion.
に際さいして
に際して and にあたって are nearly interchangeable formal expressions meaning 'on the occasion of,' though に際して leans slightly more toward emphasizing the timing of the event.

Don't confuse with

にあっては
に当たって marks the moment of undertaking an action ('when doing X'), while にあっては marks the surrounding situation or circumstance ('in such a situation'), so they aren't interchangeable despite both sounding formal.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 当たる (to hit, to correspond) in its te-form, combined with the particle に. The expression literally means 'in hitting/corresponding to' and developed into a formal marker for occasions.