いかんにかかわらず (ikan ni kakawarazu) – Meaning

いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず means regardless of; whether or not; doesn’t matter whether ~. It is a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar pattern that states a rule, intention, or outcome is unaffected by the circumstances or specifics of a situation.

This grammar point often appears in formal announcements, business documents, policy statements, and JLPT N1 reading passages. If you want to express that something holds true no matter what the situation is, いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず is a pattern that adds precision and a formal, authoritative tone to your Japanese.

Regardless of the outcome, regardless of the reason — this pattern makes your stance ironclad.

What does いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず mean?

Use いかんにかかわらず, いかんによらず, or いかんをとわず when you want to express that something is not dependent on a particular circumstance — that the result, rule, or action remains the same regardless of that factor.

Natural translations include:

regardless of
whether or not
it doesn’t matter whether ~

All three expressions are largely interchangeable. They differ only slightly in register and frequency: いかんにかかわらず is the most common in formal writing, いかんによらず is its direct equivalent, and いかんをとわず often appears in set phrases or when emphasising “we don’t even ask about the circumstances”.

How to form いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず

Noun + の + いかん + にかかわらず / によらず / をとわず

The core is the word いかん (如何(いかん)), meaning “how; what state; circumstances.” It attaches to a preceding noun with の to form a phrase like “the state of N,” after which you add the fixed expression.

Noun のいかんにかかわらず

Noun のいかんによらず

Noun のいかんをとわず

Examples of the pattern:

結果(けっか)のいかんにかかわらず
理由(りゆう)のいかんによらず
年齢(ねんれい)のいかんをとわず

In legal or very terse writing you may occasionally see the の dropped, but keeping it is safer for learners.

When is いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず used?

Use these patterns in situations like:

announcing a fixed policy, rule, or principle
stating that a decision or action will not be influenced by any variable
writing official documents, business emails, or academic arguments
emphasising determination or impartiality

Tone and register:

formal — typical of written Japanese, speeches, and official contexts
not used in casual conversation unless for ironic or emphatic effect

いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず example sentences

結果(けっか)のいかんにかかわらず、全力(ぜんりょく)を尽(つ)くします。

Regardless of the outcome, I will do my best.

determinationformal

理由(りゆう)のいかんによらず、遅刻(ちこく)は認(みと)められない。

Late arrivals will not be accepted regardless of the reason.

rulebusiness

年齢(ねんれい)・性別(せいべつ)のいかんをとわず、応募(おうぼ)できます。

You can apply regardless of age or gender.

policyofficial

天候(てんこう)のいかんにかかわらず、大会(たいかい)は予定通(よていどお)り開催(かいさい)します。

The tournament will be held as scheduled regardless of the weather.

announcementwritten

試験(しけん)の合否(ごうひ)のいかんによらず、努力(どりょく)は無駄(むだ)ではない。

Regardless of whether you pass or fail the exam, the effort is not wasted.

encouragementformal

国籍(こくせき)のいかんをとわず、参加(さんか)を歓迎(かんげい)します。

We welcome participation regardless of nationality.

invitationpolicy

Nuance of いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず

The key nuance is unwavering uniformity: the speaker declares that the statement holds true under any set of circumstances connected with the noun. It’s not just “even if…,” it’s “and the circumstances don’t even enter the equation.”

This matters because:

It signals firmness — a rule, a principle, a promise — not just indifference.
いかんをとわず literally means “without asking about the circumstances,” so it often appears in contexts where the entity making the decision chooses not to scrutinise the variable (age, gender, background). That gives it a slightly more “open-door” feel, but the core logic is the same.

いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず vs いかんによっては

Both patterns revolve around いかん (circumstances), but they pull in opposite directions.

いかんにかかわらず

regardless of

Used when the outcome is the same under any circumstances.

結果(けっか)のいかんにかかわらず、報告(ほうこく)してください。

Regardless of the result, please report it.

いかんによっては

depending on

Used when the outcome changes based on the circumstances.

結果(けっか)のいかんによっては、計画(けいかく)を変更(へんこう)します。

Depending on the result, we may change the plan.

If both translations seem possible, ask yourself: “Is the speaker saying the situation does or doesn’t influence what happens next?” That’s your clue.

Common mistakes with いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず

❌ 結果(けっか)いかんにかかわらず、すぐに連絡(れんらく)します。

✅ 結果(けっか)のいかんにかかわらず、すぐに連絡(れんらく)します。

The の before いかん is nearly always required. Omitting it sounds clipped and unnatural.

❌ いかんにかかわらず、雨(あめ)が降っ(ふっ)ている。

✅ 雨(あめ)が降っ(ふっ)ているかいないかに関わら(かかわら)ず、出かけ(でかけ)ます。

The pattern must attach to a noun (with の) that names the variable. It cannot float by itself at the start of a sentence without that anchor.

Is いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず on the JLPT?

Yes. These expressions are firmly in the JLPT N1 grammar list. They appear in reading comprehension questions that test your ability to recognise formal, principle‑based logic. The test may ask you to choose between いかんにかかわらず and いかんによっては, so understanding the opposite nuance is essential.

✅ recognise in reading ✅ understand nuance ✅ use in simple formal sentences

Practice questions for いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず

1 Write a company rule using いかんにかかわらず. business

2 Use いかんによらず to state a personal principle you would never compromise on. expression

3 Create a sign-up page notice with いかんをとわず. policy

4 Compare your sentence with a version using いかんによっては and explain how the meaning shifts. comparison

Learning path for いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず

1 Memorise the full formation: Noun + の + いかん + the fixed ending. Write it five times.

2 Learn the opposite pattern いかんによっては (depending on) so the contrast becomes clear. Link: いかんによっては.

3 Collect 3 real‑world examples from news articles or company websites. Notice how the variable noun is chosen.

4 In a practice paragraph, use いかんにかかわらず once and いかんによっては once, ensuring the logic is consistent.

5 Test yourself with a JLPT‑style question: given a sentence, choose the correct ending from the two patterns.

いかんによっては / いかんでは — the direct opposite: “depending on the circumstances of ~”. Mastering the pair makes both patterns stick.
いかなる — a formal adjective meaning “whatever kind of”, often used with the same principled tone.
いかに — adverbial “in what way; however”, appearing in constructions like いかに～ても (no matter how).
放題(ほうだい) — “as much as you like” suffix; complements the “regardless” family when talking about unrestricted actions.

Learn いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず with Hane

If you want to review いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

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FAQ about いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず

What does いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず (ikan ni kakawarazu / ikan ni yorazu / ikan o towazu) mean in Japanese?

いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず (ikan ni kakawarazu / ikan ni yorazu / ikan o towazu) means “regardless of; whether or not; doesn't matter whether”. It is JLPT N1 grammar. Use いかんにかかわらず, いかんによらず, or いかんをとわず when you want to express that something is not dependent on a particular circumstance — that the result, rule, or action remains the same regardless of that factor.

How do you form いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず (ikan ni kakawarazu / ikan ni yorazu / ikan o towazu)?

Noun + の + いかん + にかかわらず / によらず / をとわず The core is the word いかん (如何), meaning “how; what state; circumstances.” It attaches to a preceding noun with の to form a phrase like “the state of N,” after which you add the fixed expression.

What is the difference between いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず and いかんによっては?

いかんにかかわらず: regardless of. いかんによっては: depending on.

What is an example sentence with いかんにかかわらず / いかんによらず / いかんをとわず (ikan ni kakawarazu / ikan ni yorazu / ikan o towazu)?

結果のいかんにかかわらず、全力を尽くします。 — Regardless of the outcome, I will do my best.