を控えて means to be soon; the time has come to; nearby; ahead of ~. It is a JLPT N1 Japanese grammar pattern used to express that an event, deadline, or situation is imminent, and often implies feelings of anticipation, pressure, or preparation.
This grammar point often appears in news reports, business language, formal writing, and JLPT N1 reading passages. If you want to describe that something important is just around the corner—and the emotional weight that comes with it—を控えて is a pattern you’ll want under your fingers.
What does を控えて mean?
Use を控えて when you want to say that a significant event, deadline, or stage is very near, and that this proximity affects the person involved. The pattern highlights the imminence of the event and the mental or physical state that goes with it.
Natural translations include:
- to be soon; the time has come to; nearby; ahead of ~
Try to feel the speaker’s state of mind — are they nervous, prepared, pressured, or simply scheduling? That feeling will guide you to the right English phrasing.
How to form を控えて
Attach を控えて directly to a noun that represents an upcoming event, deadline, or turning point. Common nouns include:
- 試験 (exam)
- 本番 (the real thing)
- 出産 (childbirth)
- 大会 (competition/tournament)
- 締切り (deadline)
- 卒業 (graduation)
In JLPT questions, wrong answer choices often try to attach を控えて to a verb or adjective, which is incorrect — it works only with nouns that carry a “scheduled” or “anticipated” event meaning.
When is を控えて used?
Use を控えて in situations like:
- announcing an upcoming event and the preparations around it
- conveying a sense of pressure or nervousness before a milestone
- expressing personal states (I’m counting down to…) in formal settings
- describing scenes in news or narratives where something big is about to happen
Tone and register:
- formal to neutral; very common in news, business, and literary narrative
- often appears in written Japanese more than casual conversation
を控えて example sentences
After reading each sentence, ask what job を控えて is doing: it makes the event feel close and consequential. That’s much more memorable than a one-word translation.
Nuance of を控えて
The key nuance is an event is so close that it dominates the person’s mental state. The grammar doesn’t just state a fact — it implies that the speaker is feeling the weight, making plans, or reacting to the upcoming event.
Using を控えて on a trivial event (like “dinner plan”) sounds unnatural. Reserve it for events that carry significance — exams, ceremonies, big projects, due dates, life transitions.
The nuance also separates this pattern from simple time expressions like 前に. 前に just marks sequence; を控えて adds the feeling of “looming” and often a need to prepare.
を控えて vs を前にして
Both を控えて and を前にして mean something is “right before” an event, but they differ in nuance and usage.
If the sentence is about the pressure of an approaching deadline, choose を控えて. If it’s about the act of facing something (an audience, a judge, a plate of food), choose を前にして. The tone often decides which one is more natural.
Common mistakes with を控えて
Is を控えて on the JLPT?
That means you should be able to:
- recognize it in a news excerpt or narrative
- understand the speaker’s mental state just from the pattern
- use it in simple original sentences about your own life
For test preparation, practice with full sentences that include a reason clause after を控えて. The JLPT often asks, “Why is the person feeling this way?” — and the answer lies in the looming event.
Practice questions for を控えて
Once the structure feels natural, add a second clause that shows the effect of the impending event.
Learning path for を控えて
To learn を控えて efficiently, start with its formation, then compare it with similar patterns, and finally practice in context.
Related grammar to review next
- を踏まえて — because it also starts with を + noun and expresses “considering” ahead of an action, though it’s about using past information rather than an upcoming event.
- を経て — because it also uses を with a temporal noun, but marks passage through a stage rather than imminence.
- をいいことに — because it shares the を + noun structure and an evaluative nuance, though it’s about taking advantage of a situation.
- を顧みずも顧みず — because it uses a double-を pattern for intensity, showing a disregard for something — a very different mental state, but useful to contrast with the pressure in を控えて.
Learn を控えて with Hane
If you want to review を控えて together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.
Browse more lessons here:
FAQ about を控えて
What does を控えて (o hikaete) mean in Japanese?
を控えて (o hikaete) means “to be soon; the time has come to; nearby; ahead of”. It is JLPT N1 grammar. Use を控えて when you want to say that a significant event, deadline, or stage is very near, and that this proximity affects the person involved. The pattern highlights the imminence of the event and the mental or physical state that goes with it.
How do you form を控えて (o hikaete)?
Noun + を控えて Attach を控えて directly to a noun that represents an upcoming event, deadline, or turning point.
What is the difference between を控えて and を前にして?
を控えて: impending, preparation-heavy. を前にして: physically or figuratively facing, right before.
What is an example sentence with を控えて (o hikaete)?
大学入試を控えて、毎日遅くまで勉強している。 — With college entrance exams just ahead, I’m studying late every night.