Difference between 「～かかわらず」 and 「～かまわず」


I never knew the differences between 「～かかわらず」 and 「～かまわず」 and assumed they
were more or less the same until I tried saying

> *「ソフトの機能にかまわず、。。。」

and was told to use 「かかわらず」.

What am I missing?




〜かまわず is the 〜ず negative form of [構]{かま}う, meaning to "care about/mind/pay
attention to". It has an emotional/personal sense to it to.

>   * 鉛筆で書いても構いませんか1 → May I write with a/in pencil? ("Do you not care if I
> write in pencil?")
>   * 彼は身なりのことはかまわない2 → He doesn't care about his appearance.
>

〜かかわらず is the 〜ず negative form of かかわる, meaning "have to do
with/concerning/related to" (関係のある〜・〜について・〜に関して）. This is more objective in
its use.

>   * そのことには何もかかわっていません1 → I have nothing to do with the matter.
>   * それは命にかかわることだ1 → It's a matter of life (and death).
>

So when you say `ソフトの機能にかまわず、。。。`, it sounds like what follows is some kind of
emotional relationship to the software, when you were probably going for
something like `Regardless/Irrespective of the software's functionality, ...`.

* * *

1 Examples from プログレッシブ英和・和英中辞典  
2 Example from ウィズダム英和辞典／ウィズダム和英辞典




〜かまわず is the 〜ず negative form of [構]{かま}う, meaning to "care about/mind/pay
attention to". It has an emotional/personal sense to it to.

>   * 鉛筆で書いても構いませんか1 → May I write with a/in pencil? ("Do you not care if I
> write in pencil?")
>   * 彼は身なりのことはかまわない2 → He doesn't care about his appearance.
>

〜かかわらず is the 〜ず negative form of かかわる, meaning "have to do
with/concerning/related to" (関係のある〜・〜について・〜に関して）. This is more objective in
its use.

>   * そのことには何もかかわっていません1 → I have nothing to do with the matter.
>   * それは命にかかわることだ1 → It's a matter of life (and death).
>

So when you say `ソフトの機能にかまわず、。。。`, it sounds like what follows is some kind of
emotional relationship to the software, when you were probably going for
something like `Regardless/Irrespective of the software's functionality, ...`.

* * *

1 Examples from プログレッシブ英和・和英中辞典  
2 Example from ウィズダム英和辞典／ウィズダム和英辞典

