を問わず【をとわず】

を問わず means "regardless of," "irrespective of," or "no matter." It is used to express that something applies universally, without being affected by a particular condition or distinction. The literal meaning comes from the verb とう問う (to question/to ask) in its negative form – "without questioning."

Basic usage

Attach を問わず directly to a noun to indicate that the outcome or statement holds true regardless of that noun.

With paired/contrasting nouns

を問わず is very common with pairs of contrasting options – similar to "whether A or B." These pairs are often written without a particle between them.

With ～かどうか (whether or not)

You can also use を問わず after a clause ending in かどうか to mean "regardless of whether or not."

Nuance and register

を問わず is relatively formal and is frequently found in written language such as job postings, official announcements, rules, and news articles. In casual conversation, expressions like 〜～にかんけいなく関係なく or 〜～にかかわらず may be used instead, though 〜～にかかわらず is also fairly formal. を問わず tends to attach to broad categorical nouns (age, gender, nationality, experience, etc.) rather than specific or concrete items.