connective N2 common politewritten
を問わず — regardless of
を問わず ・ をとわず
Meaning
- regardless of ~ / irrespective of ~ / no matter the ~ — a category makes no difference; anything in it qualifies equally
Key sentence
経験の有無を問わず、誰でも応募できます。
Anyone can apply, regardless of whether they have experience.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (a category) + を問わず | N + を問わず | 年齢を問わず / 昼夜を問わず |
Examples
性別や国籍を問わず、社員を募集している。
We're recruiting staff irrespective of gender or nationality.
この施設は季節を問わず楽しめる。
This facility can be enjoyed no matter the season.
Easily confused with
Notes
- 問う = 'to ask / call into question', so を問わず is literally 'without asking about ~'. Typical category nouns: 年齢・性別・国籍・経験・昼夜. Fixed phrase: 昼夜を問わず ('day and night').
See を問わず in real sentences
Jengo shows を問わず the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.