ぐるみ means together (with); -wide. It is a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar pattern used to express that something involves an entire group, community, or entity as a whole.
This grammar point often appears in news reports, formal discussions, and N1 reading passages. If you want to emphasize that a whole family, town, company, or region is involved—not just a few members—ぐるみ is the pattern you need.
What does ぐるみ mean?
Use ぐるみ when you want to express that something involves an entire group, community, or entity as a single unit.
Natural translations include:
- together (with); -wide
The translation shifts with context—sometimes “family-wide,” “town-wide,” or “with the whole family.” Always check whether the writer is highlighting total inclusion.
How to form ぐるみ
The noun names the whole entity—a family, town, company, or region. No other word types attach directly.
In JLPT questions, wrong answers often try to attach ぐるみ to verbs or adjectives—those will be incorrect.
When is ぐるみ used?
ぐるみ fits situations like:
- community-wide events (festivals, clean-ups)
- family-inclusive outings or decisions
- company-wide conspiracies or fraud
- regional cooperation or movements
Tone and register:
- neutral to formal; common in newspapers and reports
- can carry a sense of scale—positive when describing unity, negative when describing collective wrongdoings
ぐるみ example sentences
家族ぐるみで旅行に行く。
We go on a trip with the whole family.
町ぐるみで祭りを祝う。
The whole town celebrates the festival.
親子ぐるみの参加が多い。
There are many parent‑child pairs participating.
会社ぐるみの不正が発覚した。
Company‑wide fraud was uncovered.
地域ぐるみで防犯に取り組む。
The whole community works on crime prevention.
学校ぐるみの運動会が盛り上がった。
The school‑wide sports day was lively.
Each sentence emphasizes that the entire entity, not a fraction, is involved.
Nuance of ぐるみ
The key nuance is total inclusion: every member or part of the named group is involved, often with a sense of unity or pervasiveness.
This matters because:
- Saying “家族と一緒に” means you’re with family members; saying “家族ぐるみ” means the whole family—parents, children, maybe grandparents—acts as one.
- In news, “会社ぐるみ” implies systemic wrongdoings, not just one rogue employee.
- The pattern can carry a slightly heavy or formal tone, fitting serious announcements or reports.
When you want to stress that everyone is in, not just some, reach for ぐるみ.
ぐるみ vs と一緒に
The difference is scope. If you say “家族ぐるみ that participated in the fraud,” it means the family acted as one bloc; “家族と一緒に committed fraud” sounds like several individuals happened to do it together.
Common mistakes with ぐるみ
Is ぐるみ on the JLPT?
Frequent in reading comprehension and vocabulary-in-context questions.
Expect to:
- recognize ぐるみ in newspaper excerpts
- choose the correct meaning when “全体を含む” is an option
- reject distractor grammar that doesn’t fit a noun base
The N1 level tests whether you catch the “whole-group” nuance, not just a simple “together.”
Practice questions for ぐるみ
Use ぐるみ in a sentence about a neighborhood project.
communityWrite a sentence where ぐるみ is necessary to show that a scandal reached every level of an organization.
nuanceCreate a pair: one with ぐるみ, one with と一緒に, and explain how the nuance shifts.
compareFind a news article headline that uses ぐるみ and note what it implies about the event.
real JapaneseLearning path for ぐるみ
Related grammar to review next
- 羽目になる — because it also describes situations where whole groups can become entangled.
- ごとき / ごとく / ごとし — because it adds a literary, illustrative nuance that pairs well with broad-scope expressions.
- ほどのことではない — because it deals with scale; ぐるみ shows large scale, while this pattern downplays it.
- がてら — because it also layers an action onto a wider context, teaching you how Japanese packages simultaneous activities.
Learn ぐるみ with Hane
If you want to review ぐるみ together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.
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FAQ about ぐるみ
What does ぐるみ (gurumi) mean in Japanese?
ぐるみ (gurumi) means “together (with); -wide”. It is JLPT N1 grammar. Use ぐるみ when you want to express that something involves an entire group, community, or entity as a single unit.
How do you form ぐるみ (gurumi)?
Noun + ぐるみ The noun names the whole entity—a family, town, company, or region. No other word types attach directly. 家族 + ぐるみ 町 + ぐるみ 会社 + ぐるみ In JLPT questions, wrong answers often try to attach ぐるみ to verbs or adjectives—those will be incorrect.
What is an example sentence with ぐるみ (gurumi)?
家族ぐるみで旅行に行く。 — We go on a trip with the whole family.