“wo fumaete” Meaning — Based on / Taking 〜 into Account [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

“Decide based on the current situation” — fully considering a fact before acting, with examples. (JLPT N2)

「現状を踏まえて判断する」 — plant your feet on that fact, take it in, then move forward

Often heard when making decisions in a meeting: 「現状を踏まえて、計画を見直す」 (based on the current situation, we review the plan) — 「〜を踏まえて・〜を踏まえた」 = based on ～, taking ～ fully into account (before acting), used to express “taking some fact, experience, lesson, or opinion as a footing, fully factoring it in, then judging or acting.” It's a formal, quite written expression. This guide covers attachment, the noun-modifying 「を踏まえた,」 and drawing the line with the near-synonyms 「に基づいて／をもとに.」

Core: factor something in as the footing for moving forward

「noun ＋ を踏(ふ)まえて」 means “fully factor in ～ (experience, result, current situation, opinion, etc.), then…”:

• 今回の失敗を踏まえて、来年は対策を立てる (learning from this failure, we'll set countermeasures next year).
• 調査結果を踏まえて、方針を決定する (factoring in the survey results, we decide the policy).
• みなさんのご意見を踏まえた提案です (this is a proposal that took everyone's opinions into account — 「を踏まえた」 modifies the noun).

Feel: “based on ～, taking ～ into account, then…” — 「踏まえる」 originally means “to plant one's feet on, stand on,” extended to “fully factor in some experience, lesson, current situation, or opinion, and move forward using it as a footing.” It stresses not “strictly following it” but “weighing it in” before judging. It corresponds to “based on ～, in light of ～, taking ～ into account, in view of ～,” a high-frequency formal term in reports, meetings, and official documents.

Attachment & forms

See it in context

• これまでの議論を踏まえて、結論をまとめます。(Based on the discussion so far, I'll sum up the conclusion.)
• 過去の事例を踏まえて、リスクを評価する。(Factoring in past cases, we assess the risk.)
• 現場の声を踏まえた改善策が求められている。(Improvement measures that take frontline voices into account are called for.)
• 前回の反省を踏まえ、今回は入念に準備した。(Learning from last time, we prepared thoroughly this time.)
• データを踏まえて議論すべきだ。(We should factor in the data before discussing.)

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① It's ‘factor in, then act,' not ‘strictly follow.' 「を踏まえて」's core is “fully factor in some fact／experience／opinion, use it as a footing, then weigh and judge” — it's flexible, the focus being “taking it into account, weighing it, referring to it,” not “executing it to the letter.” This is its biggest divide from 「に基づいて (strictly based on)」: 現状を踏まえて判断する = “factor in the current situation, then (weigh and) judge” (there's judgment room); 規則に基づいて処理する = “process strictly by the rules” (no room to deviate). Though both translate as “based on／according to,” 「を踏まえて」 is “take into account, then weigh,” softer in feel. Test: to say “factor something in as a footing, then (yourself) judge” → を踏まえて.

② Precedes a noun; modify nouns with 「を踏まえた,」 use 「を踏まえ」 in formal documents. Get the attachment right. 「を踏まえて」 precedes a noun (現状を踏まえて, 結果を踏まえて), not a verb (to take a verb, first nominalize: 反省したこと → 反省を踏まえて). To modify the following noun, use the noun-modifying 「を踏まえた」: 意見を踏まえた計画 (a plan that took opinions in). Formal documents and slides often drop 「て」 to the continuative 「を踏まえ」 for a more written feel: 以上を踏まえ、ご検討ください. Mnemonic: noun ＋ を踏まえて (action)／を踏まえた (noun)／を踏まえ (written).

③ Division of labor among 「に基づいて」 「をもとに」 and this. All three translate as “based on／according to,” but each has its emphasis — a frequently-tested N2 distinction. 「を踏まえて」 = factor ～ in, then judge (experience・lesson・current situation・opinion; room to weigh, softer): 反省を踏まえて改善する. 「に基づいて」 = strictly based on ～ (rules・data・facts・contracts; follow it, no deviation, hard): 事実に基づいて報道する. 「をもとに」 = using ～ as material／basis to create, calculate (a novel・data・legend → produce a result; take it as raw material): 実話をもとに映画を作る (see 〈をもとに〉). Test: “factor in, then judge” → を踏まえて; “strictly follow” → に基づいて; “use as material to produce something” → をもとに.

🔄 Compare with similar forms: を踏まえて／に基づいて／をもとに／に沿って

💡 How to remember this

「〜を踏まえて・〜を踏まえた」 = based on ～, taking ～ fully into account then acting — three points: ① the core is “factor something in as a footing, then weigh and judge” — flexible (factor it in), not “strictly following”; ② precedes a noun; modify nouns with 「を踏まえた,」 use the continuative 「を踏まえ」 in formal documents; ③ division of labor with 「に基づいて (strictly based on)」 and 「をもとに (create using as material).」 This is a super-high-frequency formal term in meetings, reports, official documents — 「現状を踏まえて,」 「ご意見を踏まえ,」 「結果を踏まえた対応」 instantly sound professional and organized. To express “factor something in properly, then judge onward,” 「〜を踏まえて」 is spot-on. It's often tested alongside 〈をもとに〉 — remember “踏まえて = factor in, をもとに = as material” and you won't mix them up.

❓ Questions you might have

Q: 「を踏まえて」 and 「に基づいて」 are both ‘based on ～' — what's the difference?

The difference is ‘factor in then weigh' vs ‘strictly follow,' and soft vs hard. 「〜を踏まえて」 = factor ～ in, then (yourself) judge (flexible, softer): it means “fully factor in some fact／experience／opinion, use it as a footing, then weigh and judge or act” — the focus is “taking it in, referring to it, weighing it,” leaving judgment room, not following to the letter: 今回の反省を踏まえて、来年の計画を立てる (learning from this lesson, set next year's plan — factor the lesson in, but the plan is still your own judgment), みなさんの意見を踏まえて、方針を決める (taking everyone's opinions in, decide the policy — refer to opinions, but the final call is yours). Its flavor is “taking ～ into account (then judging yourself).” 「〜に基づいて」 = strictly based on ～ (following, hard): it means “take some basis as the standard and strictly follow it” — rules, laws, data, contracts, facts, executed as-is, with no room to deviate: 法律に基づいて処罰する (punish by law — follow the law, can't change it yourself), 事実に基づいて判断する (judge based on facts — follow the facts, no subjectivity), 契約に基づいて支払う (pay per the contract). Its flavor is “strictly according to ～.” Difference: 「を踏まえて」 is “factor ～ in, then (yourself) weigh and judge” (soft, room); 「に基づいて」 is “strictly follow ～” (hard, as-is). Test: to say “factor something in, then judge yourself” → を踏まえて; to say “strictly follow some basis (rule／data／fact)” → に基づいて. E.g. 「アンケートを踏まえて、サービスを見直す (factoring in the survey, review the service — weigh then decide)」 uses を踏まえて; 「マニュアルに基づいて対応する (respond per the manual — follow it)」 uses に基づいて. Experience/opinion → を踏まえて, rules/data → に基づいて, and you won't go wrong.

Q: How do I tell 「を踏まえて」 from 「をもとに」? Both mean ‘based on something'?

The difference is ‘treating it as a factor to weigh' vs ‘as material／raw stock.' 「〜を踏まえて」 = factor ～ in, then judge／act: it treats what precedes as “a factor, a footing to consider in judging” — experience, lesson, current situation, opinion — factoring it in before weighing the next step: 過去の失敗を踏まえて、慎重に進める (learning from past failure, proceed carefully — treating failure as a factor to weigh). The focus is “take into account, weigh.” 「〜をもとに」 = using ～ as basis／material to create, calculate, produce: it treats what precedes as “the raw material, blueprint, basis for producing some result” — a novel, a true story, data, a legend — taking it as material to “produce” something: 実話をもとに、小説を書く (using a true story as basis, write a novel — true events as material), このデータをもとに、グラフを作る (using this data as basis, make a graph — data as raw stock for calculation) (see 〈をもとに〉). Difference: 「を踏まえて」 is “treat ～ as a ‘factor to weigh,' then judge” (the output is a “judgment／action”); 「をもとに」 is “treat ～ as ‘material／blueprint,' then produce a result” (the output is a “work／graph／calculation”). Test: to say “factor something in, then judge／respond” → を踏まえて; to say “take something as material／blueprint and produce (create) a result” → をもとに. E.g. 「利用者の声を踏まえて、改善する (factoring in user voices, improve — judgment)」 uses を踏まえて; 「利用者の声をもとに、新機能を開発する (using user voices as material, develop a new feature — producing a result)」 leans をもとに. One is a “factor to weigh,” the other is “creative material” — that's the cleanest split.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「皆の意見___、計画を修正した。」(revised the plan based on everyone's opinions)

(A) を踏まえて　(B) をよそに　(C) はもとより　(D) どころか

Q2. 「調査結果___報告書」(a report based on the survey results) Which form modifies a noun?

(A) を踏まえた　(B) を踏まえて　(C) を踏まえ　(D) を踏まえるの

Q3. 「過去の失敗を踏まえて対策を立てる」の意味は?

(A) Drawing on / building on past failures to devise countermeasures

(B) Forgetting past failures

(C) Regardless of the past

(D) Repeating past failures

Q4. 「を踏まえて」と「をよそに」の違いとして正しいのは?

(A) を踏まえて＝taking ~ into account as a premise; をよそに＝ignoring/disregarding ~

(B) The two are exactly the same

(C) を踏まえて＝ignoring

(D) をよそに＝based on

Q5. 接法が正しいのは?

(A) 現状を踏まえて判断する。　(B) 現状に踏まえて判断する。

(C) 現状を踏まえてた案。　(D) 現状踏まえをて判断。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) を踏まえて ── Revised based on everyone's opinions.

2. (A) を踏まえた ── To modify a noun, use を踏まえた.

3. (A) ── Building on past failures to devise countermeasures.

4. (A) ── を踏まえて = taking ~ as a premise; をよそに = ignoring/disregarding.

5. (A) ── 「を踏まえて」 is correct; the other attachments are wrong.