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Formation: V-dictionary + につけ（て）; A につけ B につけ (V-dictionary / い-adj / N); 何かにつけ（て）

In its main use, V + につけ means that every time you see, hear or think of something, a feeling or memory comes up naturally. It is almost always used with verbs like 見る, 聞く, 思う and 考える, and the main clause expresses emotion or recollection (思い出される, 胸が痛む), not a deliberate action. In the pair form AにつけBにつけ it means 'whether A or B', as in 良いにつけ悪いにつけ (for better or worse). The set phrase 何かにつけて means at every opportunity, often with mild annoyance. It is somewhat literary. Compare 〜たびに: that is a neutral 'every time' that works with any action and any result, while 〜につけ is limited to perception and thought and to an emotional response.

Variants: につけて、〜につけ〜につけ、何かにつけ（て）、それにつけても

Examples

• 事故のニュースを聞くにつけ、胸が痛む。
  Whenever I hear news of an accident, my heart aches.
• 良いにつけ悪いにつけ、彼はいつも話題になる人だ。
  For better or worse, he's always someone people talk about.
• 母は何かにつけて昔の話を持ち出す。
  My mother brings up the old days at every opportunity.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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