Page 511 - Basic Japanese

10.13. ni tsuite and ni yotte

The verb tsuku has the basic meaning ‘comes in contact

with.’ The expression NOUN+ ni tsuite mean ‘with respect to,’
‘regarding,’ or ‘about.’

Sōsharu nettowāku ni tsuite dō omoimasu ka.
What do you think about social networking?

Kinō no kurasu de wa kanji no kigen ni tsuite

hanashimashita.
I talked about the origin of kanji in yesterday’s
class.

The whole expression is usually treated as an adverb,
modifying the following predicate, but it sometimes occurs
also as a noun phrase modifying a noun (and linked to it by

the particle no). There is no difference in meaning between

the following two sentences although they differ in terms of
structure:

Keizai ni tsuite kiji o kakimashita.
I wrote an article about economics.

Keizai ni tsuite no kiji o kakimashita.
I wrote an article about economics.

The verb yoru has the basic meaning ‘leans on, relies on.’

The expressions NOUN + ni yoru to and NOUN + ni yoreba mean

‘if you rely on… = according to….’