What's the difference between 「この辺{へん}」 and 「この辺{あた}り」


What's the difference between 「この辺{へん}」 and 「この辺{あた}り」?

I used to always read 「この辺{へん}」as 「この辺{あたり}」 as I thought it would be confused
with 「変{へん}」 but it apparently is different.




この辺 is _slightly_ more colloquial.

In speech, would I be comfortable saying この辺 to…?

  * the emperor: absolutely not
  * the CEO of a major corporation: maybe
  * a teacher: yes
  * a random stranger: yes

So, admittedly, この辺 would only be impolite/unprofessional in a few extreme
situations, as long as it’s not in writing.

In formal writing (like newspapers), you would most likely opt for この辺り,
unless inside a quotation, interview, or perhaps an editorial. But even in
emails, I would recommend using この辺り to anyone you wouldn’t joke around with,
such as a new customer or a complete stranger. Sure, some people may not care
at all, but better be polite than not.

On the flip side, there are times when この辺り is less likely to be used, such as
by…

  * a bully/gangster to his victim, e.g. 「今日はこの辺にしといてやるよ！」
  * children in general, e.g. 「さっきまでこの辺にいたよ」

Other than this, I agree that they are near synonymous, although in specific
cases one may feel more natural than the other. But all these distinctions
seem to be more about rhythmic flow than semantics, owing to how へん sounds
more abrupt/hasty or concise, while あたり sounds softer and more delicate.

Another possible explanation for this perceived difference is the fact that
〜辺り can be used properly in many more grammatical contexts than 〜辺. As you may
know, in proper usage 〜辺 is generally restricted to demonstratives such as
この〜, その〜, and あの〜. So for example, 「ロビーの辺でお待ちください」 (as opposed to
「ロビーの辺りでお待ちください」) is unequivocally weird and impolite. Therefore, while
「この辺でお待ちください」 is not in itself grammatically incorrect, may seem less polite
than 「この辺りで〜」.




この辺 is _slightly_ more colloquial.

In speech, would I be comfortable saying この辺 to…?

  * the emperor: absolutely not
  * the CEO of a major corporation: maybe
  * a teacher: yes
  * a random stranger: yes

So, admittedly, この辺 would only be impolite/unprofessional in a few extreme
situations, as long as it’s not in writing.

In formal writing (like newspapers), you would most likely opt for この辺り,
unless inside a quotation, interview, or perhaps an editorial. But even in
emails, I would recommend using この辺り to anyone you wouldn’t joke around with,
such as a new customer or a complete stranger. Sure, some people may not care
at all, but better be polite than not.

On the flip side, there are times when この辺り is less likely to be used, such as
by…

  * a bully/gangster to his victim, e.g. 「今日はこの辺にしといてやるよ！」
  * children in general, e.g. 「さっきまでこの辺にいたよ」

Other than this, I agree that they are near synonymous, although in specific
cases one may feel more natural than the other. But all these distinctions
seem to be more about rhythmic flow than semantics, owing to how へん sounds
more abrupt/hasty or concise, while あたり sounds softer and more delicate.

Another possible explanation for this perceived difference is the fact that
〜辺り can be used properly in many more grammatical contexts than 〜辺. As you may
know, in proper usage 〜辺 is generally restricted to demonstratives such as
この〜, その〜, and あの〜. So for example, 「ロビーの辺でお待ちください」 (as opposed to
「ロビーの辺りでお待ちください」) is unequivocally weird and impolite. Therefore, while
「この辺でお待ちください」 is not in itself grammatically incorrect, may seem less polite
than 「この辺りで〜」.

