“wo ate ni suru / wo tayori ni” Meaning — Rely on / Count on 〜 [JLPT N1]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
“Count on your parents' support” — relying on someone or something, with examples. (JLPT N1)
「親の援助を当てにする」 — pinning your hopes on someone else
To say “count on your parents' help,” 「いつまでも親の援助を当てにしてはいけない」 (you can't keep counting on your parents' help) — 「〜を当てにする・〜を頼りに」 both mean “rely on,” but differ in feel: を当てにする = count on, bank on (that it'll be there／help), often with a “over-reliant, leaning on others” negative flavor; を頼りに = go by, rely on (a clue／support), more neutral. This guide covers their division of labor, the trap of using the particle 「を,」 and separating them from 「に頼る／に依存する.」
Core: 当てにする = count on (rely), 頼りに = go by (a clue／support)
This set both means “rely on,” but with different feels:
① を当てにする = count on, bank on (that it'll be there／help) (often with an over-reliant, wishful negative flavor):
- 他人を当てにしてばかりでは、いつまでも成長しない (always counting on others, you'll never grow).
- 政府の補助金を当てにして事業を始めるのはリスクが高い (starting a business banking on government subsidies is risky).
② を頼りに = go by, rely on (a clue／support) (more neutral):
- 地図を頼りに、目的地にたどり着いた (going by the map, I reached the destination).
- かすかな記憶を頼りに、故郷を探し歩いた (going by a faint memory, I searched for my hometown).
Feel: both are “rely on,” but — 「を当てにする」 is “pin your hopes on someone／something, expecting it to help／be there,” often with an “over-reliant, leaning on others (who may let you down)” negative flavor (banking on subsidies, counting on others); 「を頼りに」 is “use something as a clue／support to do something,” more neutral (by the map, by memory, by a glimmer of hope). In English: を当てにする = “count on, bank on”; を頼りに = “go by, rely on.”
Attachment & forms
| Form | Particle | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| noun ＋ を当てにする | を | count on, bank on (often negative) | 援助を当てにする （counts on receiving aid） |
| noun ＋ を頼りに | を | go by, rely on (neutral) | 地図を頼りに |
Examples in use
- 宝くじを当てにして、生活設計を立てるべきではない。(You shouldn't plan your life banking on winning the lottery.) — an unreliable hope
- 息子の仕送りを当てにして暮らしている。(Living by counting on remittances from one's son.)
- 星の位置を頼りに、方角を確かめた。(Going by the stars' position, I confirmed the direction.)
- 手すりを頼りに、ゆっくり階段を降りた。(Holding onto the handrail, I slowly went down the stairs.)
- わずかな手がかりを頼りに、捜査を進めた。(Going by a slim lead, they advanced the investigation.)
⚠️ Where learners slip up
① 「を当てにする」 = count on (often negative) vs 「を頼りに」 = go by (neutral). This is the set's core division of labor. 「を当てにする」 = count on, bank on (that it'll be there／help) — “pin your hopes on someone／something, expecting it to help or be there,” often with an “over-reliant, leaning on others, wishful (may let you down)” negative flavor: 他人を当てにする (count on others — with the negative “shouldn't keep leaning on others”), 補助金を当てにする (bank on subsidies — with an “unreliable” flavor). 「を頼りに」 = go by, rely on (a clue／support) — “use something as a clue or support to do something,” more neutral, even positive: 地図を頼りに (by the map — neutral), 希望を頼りに (going by hope — positive). Test: to say “count on (someone／something to help／be there)” (often with the negative of over-reliance) → を当てにする; to say “go by (a clue／support) to do” (neutral) → を頼りに. One is “expecting it to come” (reliance), one is “using it as a clue” (going by).
② Use the particle 「を,」 not 「に」 (learners' commonest error). This is the most error-prone particle. 「を当てにする」 and 「を頼りに」 both use the particle 「を」, not 「に」! The Chinese/English “rely on ～” influences learners to write 「に」: ✗ 親に当てにする → ✓ 親を当てにする, ✗ 地図に頼りに → ✓ 地図を頼りに. Remember both are “(noun) を ＋ 当てにする／頼りに.” (Note: the near-synonym 「頼る」 takes 「に」 — 親に頼る, see pitfall ③; don't muddle the particle of 「を頼りに」 and 「に頼る.」) Mnemonic: (noun) を当てにする／を頼りに (particle を).
③ Division of labor with 「に頼る／に依存する」 (which take に). These all mean “rely on,” but with different particles and feels. 「を当てにする」 (を) = count on (that it'll help／be there, often over-reliant, negative): 他人を当てにする. 「を頼りに」 (を) = go by (a clue／support, neutral): 地図を頼りに. 「に頼る」 (に) = rely on, depend on (broader, positive or negative): 親に頼る (rely on parents), 専門家に頼る (turn to an expert). 「に依存する」 (に) = depend on, be dependent on (stronger, mostly negative): アルコールに依存する (alcohol dependence), 輸入に依存する (depend on imports). Difference: を当てにする／を頼りに take 「を」; に頼る／に依存する take 「に」 — the particle difference is key. In feel: を当てにする (count on, often negative), を頼りに (go by, neutral), に頼る (rely on, neutral and broad), に依存する (be dependent on, strong, mostly negative). Test: check the particle (を or に) first, then the feel (count on／go by／rely on／be dependent on).
🔄 Compare with similar forms: を当てにする／を頼りに／に頼る／に依存する
| Form | Particle | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜を当てにする | を | count on, bank on (often over-reliant, negative) | 援助を当てにする （counts on receiving aid） |
| 〜を頼りに | を | go by, rely on (a clue／support, neutral) | 地図を頼りに |
| 〜に頼る | に | rely on, depend on (broader, +／−) | 親に頼る |
| 〜に依存する | に | be dependent on (strong, mostly negative) | 輸入に依存する （depends on imports） |
💡 The one thing to remember
「〜を当てにする・〜を頼りに」 both mean “rely on” — three points: ① a division of labor in feel — 「を当てにする = count on, bank on (that it'll be there／help),」 often with an over-reliant, unreliable negative flavor (mostly in commentary, warning: don't keep banking on subsidies／others); 「を頼りに = go by, rely on (a clue／support),」 more neutral (by the map, by memory); ② use the particle 「を,」 not 「に」 (✗親に当てにする→○親を当てにする, learners' commonest error); ③ division of labor with 「に頼る／に依存する (which take に).」 To say with a hint of warning “(shouldn't) count on ～” use を当てにする; to neutrally say “go by ～ (to do)” use を頼りに. The commonest error is the particle — both take 「を,」 so lock that in and you won't slip.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: What's the difference between 「他人を当てにする」 and 「他人に頼る」?
The difference is the particle (を／に) and the feel. 「〜を当てにする」 = count on, bank on (takes を, often an over-reliant, wishful negative flavor): it's “pin your hopes on someone／something, expecting it to help／be there,” often implying the negative, cautionary “you shouldn't keep leaning on others; it may let you down”: 他人を当てにしてばかりいる (always counting on others — with criticism), 親の遺産を当てにする (counting on your parents' inheritance — with a “shouldn't” flavor). It's mostly for admonition, commentary (don't keep banking on ～). 「〜に頼る」 = rely on, depend on (takes に, broader, more neutral): it's “rely on someone／something (their strength／help),” more neutral, broad, positive or negative, not necessarily with the “excessive, unreliable” negative: 困ったときは友人に頼る (rely on friends when in trouble — neutral, even positive), 専門家に頼る (turn to an expert — positive), 機械に頼りすぎる (over-rely on machines — only here does it lean negative). Difference: 「を当てにする」 (takes を) leans “count on, bank on (to help／be there), often an over-reliant negative warning”; 「に頼る」 (takes に) leans “rely on (someone／something), more neutral and broad.” And the particle differs: を当てにする takes 「を,」 に頼る takes 「に」 (don't muddle: ✗他人に当てにする／✗他人を頼る [頼る takes に]). Test: with a hint of “shouldn't keep depending like this,” saying “count on ～” → を当てにする (を); neutrally saying “rely on ～ (its help)” → に頼る (に). E.g. 「宝くじを当てにする (count on winning the lottery — unreliable, negative)」 uses を当てにする; 「困ったら私に頼ってね (rely on me if you're in trouble — neutral, positive)」 uses に頼る.
Q: 「を頼りに」 and 「に頼る」 both have 「頼」 — why does one take 「を」 and the other 「に」?
Because they're two different structures, though both contain 「頼.」 「を頼りに」 = using ～ as a clue／support (takes を): here 「頼り」 is a noun (= a clue, a thing to rely on), and 「を頼りに」 is the set phrase “using (something) as a clue／support (to do something),” with 「を」 marking “the thing used as a clue”: 地図を頼りに (using the map as a clue), 記憶を頼りに (going by memory), わずかな光を頼りに (going by a faint light). It's usually followed by an action (を頼りに ＋ 歩く／探す). 「に頼る」 = rely on ～ (takes に): here 「頼る」 is a verb (rely on, depend on), and 「に頼る」 is “rely on (someone／something),” with 「に」 marking “the object relied on”: 親に頼る (rely on parents), 友人に頼る (rely on friends). Difference: 「を頼りに」's 「頼り」 is a noun (a clue), taking を; 「に頼る」's 「頼る」 is a verb (rely on), taking に. So the same 「頼,」 but one is “noun (頼り) ＋ を,” one is “verb (頼る) ＋ に,” with naturally different particles. Test: to say “using ～ as a clue／support (to do something)” → を頼りに (を); to say “rely on ～ (some object)” → に頼る (に). E.g. 「星を頼りに進む (advance going by the stars — stars as a clue, を)」 uses を頼りに; 「彼に頼る (rely on him — に)」 uses に頼る. Remember “頼り (noun) を／頼る (verb) に” and you won't slip.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「他人___ばかりでは、いつまでも成長しない。」(Only counting on others)
(A) を当てにして (B) において (C) にとって (D) をめぐって
Q2. 「星___、夜の海を進む。」(Relying on the stars)
(A) を頼りに (B) を当てにして (C) によって (D) について
Q3. 「ボーナスを当てにする」の意味は?
(A) Counting on / banking on the bonus (expecting to get it)
(B) Refusing the bonus
(C) Returning the bonus
(D) No bonus
Q4. 「を頼りに」の語感は?
(A) Relying on / by means of (using ～ as support or a clue)
(B) Concerning / around ～
(C) Although ～, yet
(D) Even if ～
Q5. 接法が正しいのは?
(A) 勘を頼りに進む。 (B) 勘を頼りにのに。
(C) 勘が頼りする。 (D) 勘を頼りにを。
Answer Explanations
1. (A) を当てにして ── Only counting on others.
2. (A) を頼りに ── Relying on the stars.
3. (A) ── Counting on / banking on the bonus.
4. (A) ── Relying on / by means of.
5. (A) ── 「勘を頼りに進む」 is correct.