はばかりながら

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ば

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Meanings

adverb

with all due respect; I venture to say; excuse me, but

usually written using kana alone

A formal, somewhat old-fashioned set phrase used to soften a potentially presumptuous or contradictory statement. Often heard in speeches or formal announcements.

はばかりながら、私わたしが代だい表ひょうしてご挨あい拶さつ申もうし上あげます。
With all due respect, I would like to say a few words on behalf of everyone.
はばかりながら、そのご意い見けんには賛さん成せいしかねます。
I venture to say that I cannot agree with that opinion.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

憚hesitate, shrink, awe
乍though, notwithstanding, while

Related words

恐おそれ入いりますが
A more common and slightly less formal phrase used to politely preface a request or statement. はばかりながら is more old-fashioned and often used in formal speeches.
僭せん越えつながら
Also a formal phrase meaning 'though I may be presumptuous', but 僭越ながら emphasizes the speaker's lack of status or qualification, while はばかりながら focuses on showing respect to the listener.

Written forms

憚はばかりながら
Rare kanji spelling; 憚 is not a jōyō kanji.
憚はばかり乍ながら
Rare kanji spelling using the old form 乍ら for ながら.

Etymology

From the verb 憚る (はばかる, 'to hesitate, to be wary') in the negative continuative form 憚り (はばかり) plus ながら ('while, though'), literally 'while hesitating' or 'though I hesitate'. The phrase became a fixed formal expression.