At a glance
Noun に Noun を重ねて means "doing [noun] again and again, piling it up". It stresses a great amount of repeated effort or hardship, usually before a result. It is mostly used in writing and formal speech.
[Noun] に [same Noun] を 重ねて、[result]
努力に努力を重ねて、夢を実現した。 Through effort upon effort, (she) made her dream come true.
How to form it
The same noun appears twice: first with に, then with を. The verb is 重ねる "to pile up, to repeat".
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Linking to a result | Noun に Noun を重ねて、～ | 努力に努力を重ねて、合格した。 |
| Before a noun | Noun に Noun を重ねた + Noun | 検討に検討を重ねた結果 |
| Continuing up to now | Noun に Noun を重ねてきた | 研究に研究を重ねてきた。 |
- Attaches to: nouns only, usually nouns of effort or careful work.
- Register: formal and written.