Parallel & Accompanying Actions — かたがた/がてら/かたわら/つ〜つ/なりに/とばかりに
This lesson covers grammar for one thing happening alongside another. 「かたがた」 and 「がてら」 both mean one action serving two purposes; they differ in register and form — the first is the formal word of business letters, the second everyday language. 「かたわら」 means doing something else on the side, over a long period, alongside one's main work, and is common in profiles of people. 「つ〜つ」 appears in set phrases such as 「行きつ戻りつ」 and 「持ちつ持たれつ」 for two actions alternating back and forth. 「なりに／なりの」 means "in its own way, within its limits", and 「とばかりに」 describes someone's manner "as if to say…". 「かたがた」 and 「かたわら」 look alike but mean different things — a long-standing trap on the N1 grammar section.
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恩師 | おんし | n one's former teacher, to whom one owes a lotused once one has left school恩師を訪ねる to visit one's old teacher高校時代の恩師 a teacher from one's high school days |
| 帰省 | きせい | n, suru-verb going home to one's familya trip back to one's hometown, typically at Obon or New Year帰省ラッシュ the holiday travel rush実家に帰省する to go back to one's parents' home |
| 略儀 | りゃくぎ | n an informal, abbreviated wayalmost only in letter closings, apologising for writing instead of calling in person略儀ながら if you will forgive the informality略儀ながら書中にて by letter, if I may |
| 下見 | したみ | n, suru-verb a preliminary look; checking a place out beforehand会場の下見 an advance look at the venue下見に行く to go and check a place out |
| 本業 | ほんぎょう | n one's main job or businessopposite of 副業 (a side job)本業に専念する to concentrate on one's main work本業の傍ら alongside one's main job |
| 応じる | おうじる | v, intrans. to respond to; to accept (a request, an invitation)相談に応じる to give advice when asked要求に応じる to meet a demand |
| 精一杯 | せいいっぱい | adv, n as hard as one can; the most one can manage精一杯頑張る to give it everything one has生活するだけで精一杯だ just getting by takes all one has |
| 気を遣う | きをつかう | idiom to be considerate; to worry about others' feelingssometimes implying one is being too careful周りに気を遣う to be mindful of those around you気を遣わせる to put someone to trouble |
| 工夫 | くふう | n, suru-verb ingenuity; finding a better way to do something工夫を凝らす to put a lot of thought into it工夫次第 it all depends on how clever you are about it |
| 失言 | しつげん | n, suru-verb a gaffe; an ill-judged remarkusually a public figure saying something they shouldn't失言を撤回する to retract a remark大臣の失言 a minister's gaffe |
| 追及 | ついきゅう | n, suru-verb pressing (someone) on; pursuing responsibilityhomophone of 追求 (pursuit of a goal) and 追究 (inquiry into the truth)責任を追及する to hold someone to account厳しく追及する to grill someone |
| 繰り広げる | くりひろげる | v, trans. to unfold; to stage (a contest, a debate, an event)熱戦を繰り広げる to fight a heated contest論争を繰り広げる to carry on a debate |
| 目が離せない | めがはなせない | idiom can't take one's eyes offof something gripping, or someone who needs constant watching目が離せない展開 a gripping turn of events小さい子から目が離せない one has to keep an eye on a small child |
| 波間 | なみま | n among the waves波間に漂う to drift on the waves波間に消える to disappear among the waves |
| くわえる | くわえる | v, trans. to hold in the mouthhomophone of 加える (to add)たばこをくわえる to have a cigarette in one's mouth指をくわえて見る to look on enviously, unable to do anything |
| ぷいと | ぷいと | adv abruptly, in a huffof turning away or walking off in a sulkぷいと横を向く to turn one's face away in a huffぷいと出ていく to storm off |
1. 〜かたがた ~katagata (While also… / Combining… with…)
Conjugation
- Noun + かたがた
※ It takes almost only a handful of action nouns: 「お礼」, 「お詫び」, 「ご挨拶」, 「ご報告」, 「お見舞い」, 「お祝い」, 「散歩」, 「見物」. The letter closing 「まずは略儀ながら書中にてお礼かたがたご挨拶申し上げます」 is a set phrase.
Meaning
"While also…" or "combining… with…". Doing B also serves the purpose A — 「Aを兼ねてBする」. A is one of the purposes; B is what one actually does.
Restrictions:
- Nouns only, no verbs: ❌ 「お礼を言いかたがた伺います」 → ⭕ 「お礼かたがた伺います」.
- The main clause is usually a verb of visiting or going (「伺う」, 「訪ねる」, 「参る」) or letter language (「ご挨拶申し上げます」, 「ご案内いたします」).
- Very formal — business, letters, speeches. For everyday errands use 「〜がてら」 or 「ついでに」: △ 「散歩かたがたコンビニに行った」 isn't wrong, but it is far too formal for the situation.
Example Sentences
- 先日のお礼かたがた、近いうちにご挨拶に伺いたいと存じます。(I would like to call on you soon, partly to thank you for the other day.)
- 就職のご報告かたがた、大学時代の恩師を訪ねた。(I visited my old university professor, partly to let him know I had found a job.)
- 入院中の祖母のお見舞いかたがた、三年ぶりに帰省した。(I went home for the first time in three years, which also gave me a chance to visit my grandmother in hospital.)
- 新年のご挨拶かたがた、新製品のご案内をお送りいたします。(Along with our New Year's greetings, we are pleased to send you information on our new products.)
- まずは略儀ながら書中にてお礼かたがたご挨拶申し上げます。(Please forgive the informality of a letter; I write to thank you and to send my regards.)
✍ Practice this point (4 questions)
2. 〜がてら ~ga tera (While… / On the way… / As a chance to…)
Conjugation
- Noun + がてら
- Verb masu-stem + がてら
※ Typical nouns: 「散歩」, 「運動」, 「買い物」, 「下見」, 「気分転換」. Much more casual than 「かたがた」 — common in speech and personal essays.
Meaning
"While…", "on the way…" or "as a chance to…". Like 「かたがた」, it is 「Aを兼ねてBする」: doing B also takes care of A, as in taking a walk and doing the shopping in one go.
Restrictions:
- The main clause is usually a verb of movement: 「行く」, 「歩く」, 「寄る」, 「出かける」, 「回る」.
- It doesn't mean two actions happening at the same time: ❌ 「音楽を聞きがてら勉強する」 → ⭕ 「音楽を聞きながら勉強する」.
- For a single outing or a short time, not long-term work (that is 「かたわら」): ❌ 「会社に勤めがてら小説を書いている」.
Example Sentences
- 散歩がてら、駅前のパン屋まで朝食を買いに行った。(I took a walk to the bakery by the station to buy breakfast.)
- 天気がよかったので、運動がてら一駅手前で降りて家まで歩いた。(The weather was nice, so I got off a stop early and walked home for the exercise.)
- 友人を空港まで送りがてら、展望デッキで飛行機を眺めてきた。(While seeing a friend off at the airport, I spent some time watching the planes from the observation deck.)
- 引っ越し先の下見がてら、週末に新しい街を歩き回ってみた。(At the weekend I walked around my new neighbourhood, partly to check out the place I'm moving to.)
- 買い物に出がてら、郵便局に寄って荷物を出してきた。(When I went out shopping, I dropped by the post office on the way and sent a parcel.)
Comparison
| Expression | Attaches to | Register | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| かたがた | noun | very formal; letters, business | one action, two purposes; main clause is usually a visit or greeting |
| がてら | noun / masu-stem | everyday | one action, two purposes; main clause is usually movement |
| ついでに | noun + の / plain verb | spoken | while doing A, one also does a minor B; A is the main purpose (N3 Lesson 50) |
| ながら | masu-stem | any | two actions at the same time (N5 Lesson 16) |
「散歩がてら郵便局に行く」= go to the post office and make a walk of it (one trip, two purposes)
「買い物に行ったついでに郵便局に寄った」= I went shopping and dropped by the post office while I was out (the post office was the side errand)
「先日のお礼かたがたお伺いします」= the formal business/letter phrasing; with 「がてら」 it would sound too casual
On the test, 「お礼」, 「ご挨拶」 or 「ご報告」 + 「伺う」 points to かたがた; a verb masu-stem rules かたがた out.
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
3. 〜かたわら ~katawara (Alongside… / While also working as…)
Conjugation
- Noun + の + かたわら
- Verb dictionary form + かたわら
※ Written 「傍ら」 in kanji. Its basic meaning is "beside" (「母のかたわらで眠る」 to sleep beside one's mother); here it means doing B alongside A.
Meaning
"Alongside…" or "while also…". Someone has A as their main occupation and, over a long period, also does B (a side job, a hobby, community work, another role).
Restrictions:
- Both A and B are ongoing, long-term activities (work, study, a career), not two things done at one moment: ❌ 「テレビを見るかたわら、ご飯を食べた」 → ⭕ 「テレビを見ながら」.
- Both clauses are about the same person.
- Written style, common in profiles and news reports.
Example Sentences
- 彼は会社に勤めるかたわら、週末は小説を書き続けている。(Alongside his office job, he keeps writing novels at weekends.)
- 彼女は大学で教えるかたわら、翻訳家としても活躍している。(As well as teaching at a university, she is an active translator.)
- 祖父は農業のかたわら、地元の子どもたちに書道を教えていた。(Besides farming, my grandfather taught calligraphy to local children.)
- 山田氏は本業の弁護士業務のかたわら、ボランティアで外国人の法律相談に応じている。(Alongside his main work as a lawyer, Mr Yamada gives free legal advice to foreign residents as a volunteer.)
- 姉は育児のかたわら資格の勉強を続け、昨年ついに税理士の試験に合格した。(My sister kept studying for a qualification while raising her children, and last year she finally passed the tax accountant exam.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| かたわら | alongside one's main work | two long-term activities; written; profiles |
| ながら | while… | short or long term, the general-purpose choice: 「働きながら大学に通う」 (N5 Lesson 16) |
| 一方（で） | on the one hand… on the other | contrasts two sides of one thing, or two different subjects (N2 Lesson 66) |
| かたがた | while also / combining | nouns only; a single visit; business letters |
「会社に勤めるかたわら、小説を書いている」⭕ (long-term: main job plus another activity)
「テレビを見るかたわら、ご飯を食べた」❌ → 「テレビを見ながら」⭕ (two things at one moment)
「かたわら」 and 「かたがた」 both begin with 「かた」 and look alike, and N1 uses each as a distractor for the other: a long-term job points to 「かたわら」, a single visit to 「かたがた」.
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
4. 〜つ〜つ ~tsu ~tsu (Back and forth / Each other…)
Conjugation
- Verb masu-stem + つ + verb masu-stem + つ
※ Two types: ① two verbs with opposite meanings: 「行きつ戻りつ」, 「浮きつ沈みつ」; ② one verb in the active and the passive: 「持ちつ持たれつ」, 「抜きつ抜かれつ」, 「追いつ追われつ」. Usually followed by 「〜する」, 「〜の」 + noun, or 「〜しながら」.
Meaning
"Back and forth" or "(doing and being done) to each other". Two opposite actions alternate over and over. 「つ」 is a classical auxiliary of completion that now survives only in phrases like these.
Restrictions:
- Only a small set of fixed phrases; you can't make up your own: ❌ 「掃除しつ洗濯しつ」 → ⭕ 「掃除したり洗濯したり」.
- The two verbs must be opposites or an active/passive pair, alternating repeatedly — not a simple list.
- Written and descriptive, common in fiction and sports reporting.
Example Sentences
- 彼は面接の順番が来るまで、廊下を行きつ戻りつしていた。(Until it was his turn to be interviewed, he paced up and down the corridor.)
- 隣の店とは、お客さんを紹介し合う持ちつ持たれつの関係だ。(We and the shop next door send each other customers — we help each other out.)
- 二台の車は最終周まで抜きつ抜かれつのデッドヒートを繰り広げた。(The two cars kept overtaking each other in a neck-and-neck race right up to the final lap.)
- 嵐の海に投げ出された木箱は、波間に浮きつ沈みつしながら流されていった。(The wooden crate thrown into the stormy sea was carried away, bobbing up and down among the waves.)
- 試合は追いつ追われつの展開となり、観客は最後まで目が離せなかった。(The lead kept changing hands, and the spectators couldn't take their eyes off the game until the very end.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 〜つ〜つ | back and forth; to each other | fixed phrases; opposite actions alternating; written |
| 〜たり〜たり | doing things like… and… | combine freely; spoken and written (N5 Lesson 7) |
| 〜つつ（も） | although… | a single 「つつ」; concessive (N2 Lesson 59) |
| 〜つつある | gradually… | a change in progress (N3 Lesson 42) |
「廊下を行きつ戻りつする」= 「廊下を行ったり来たりする」 (same meaning; the first is more literary)
「悪いと知りつつ、嘘をついた」 — that is 「つつ」, not 「つ〜つ」
N1 tests essentially these fixed phrases: learn 「行きつ戻りつ」, 「持ちつ持たれつ」, 「抜きつ抜かれつ」, 「追いつ追われつ」 and 「浮きつ沈みつ」.
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
5. 〜なりに／〜なりの ~nari ni / ~nari no (In one's own way / Within its limits)
Conjugation
- Noun + なりに / なりの + noun
- i-adjective plain form + なりに / なりの
- na-adjective stem + なりに / なりの (「下手なりに」)
※ Common forms: 「私なりに」, 「自分なりに」, 「それなりに」, 「子どもなりに」, 「AにはAなりの〜」. 「なりに」 modifies verbs and adjectives, 「なりの」 modifies nouns.
Meaning
"In one's own way" or "within its limits". It grants that A is limited or imperfect, but says that within those limits there is a fitting way of doing things, a reason or a value. 「AにはAなりの〜」 means "A has its own…".
Restrictions:
- About yourself it is modest (「私なりに頑張りました」); about others, especially superiors, it implies limited ability and can sound rude: △ 「部長なりに努力されたのですね」.
- It doesn't mean "contrary to expectations" (that is 「にしては」): ❌ 「十月なりに暑い」 → ⭕ 「十月にしては暑い」 (hot for October).
Example Sentences
- 経験は浅いが、私なりに精一杯努力したつもりだ。(I don't have much experience, but I believe I did my best in my own way.)
- 子どもは子どもなりに、親に心配をかけまいと気を遣っているのだ。(Children, in their own way, take care not to worry their parents.)
- 部屋が狭いなら狭いなりに、工夫次第で快適に暮らせる。(If your room is small, you can still live comfortably in it with a little ingenuity.)
- 彼が会社を辞めたのには、彼なりの理由があったのだろう。(He must have had his own reasons for leaving the company.)
- 安い店には安い店なりの良さがあるものだ。(Cheap restaurants have their own merits.)
Comparison
| Expression | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| なりに／なりの | in one's own way | grants a limit, but something fitting is done within it |
| にしては | for a… (surprisingly) | reality doesn't match what one would expect of A (N3 Lesson 47) |
| なり (Lesson 76) | the moment… | dictionary form + なり; time |
| なり〜なり (Lesson 78) | A or B, whichever | examples offered as choices |
「子どもなりに考えた」= the child thought it through in a child's way (granting it's a child)
「子どもにしてはよく考えた」= for a child, the thinking was surprisingly good (against expectations)
「それなりに」 is a common adverb: 「この店の料理もそれなりにおいしい」 (the food here is decent enough, for what it is).
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
6. 〜とばかりに ~to bakari ni (As if to say…)
Conjugation
- Sentence (plain / imperative / volitional form) + とばかりに
- Set phrases: 「ここぞとばかりに」 (seizing the moment), 「待ってましたとばかりに」 (as if they'd been waiting for it)
※ What comes before is the unspoken words, and can be put in quotes: 「『もう帰れ』とばかりに」.
Meaning
"As if to say…" or "practically saying…". The person doesn't say it aloud, but their actions or manner make the meaning 「…」 obvious. The main clause is a concrete, visible action.
Restrictions:
- Mostly describes someone else; about the speaker it sounds odd: △ 「私は早く帰れとばかりに時計を見た」. The set phrase 「ここぞとばかりに」 is fine about oneself, though: ⭕ 「私はここぞとばかりに反論した」.
- The main clause is an action or attitude that actually happened, not a volition, command or request: ❌ 「待ってましたとばかりに食べてください」.
- 「と言わんばかりに」 (Lesson 90) means almost the same thing.
Example Sentences
- 店員は早く帰れとばかりに、私たちのテーブルの周りで片付けを始めた。(As if to tell us to hurry up and leave, the staff began clearing up around our table.)
- 子どもたちは待ってましたとばかりに、ケーキに手を伸ばした。(The children reached for the cake as if they'd been waiting for this moment.)
- 野党は首相の失言を、ここぞとばかりに厳しく追及した。(The opposition seized on the prime minister's gaffe and grilled him over it.)
- 彼女は「あなたには関係ない」とばかりに、ぷいと横を向いた。(She turned away in a huff, as if to say, "It's none of your business.")
- 犬は散歩に連れて行けとばかりに、リードをくわえて玄関で待っている。(The dog is waiting at the door with its lead in its mouth, as if to say, "Take me for a walk.")
Comparison
| Expression | Attaches to | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| とばかりに | sentence + とばかりに | one's manner as good as says those words |
| んばかりに (Lesson 90) | nai-stem + んばかりに | almost to the point of… (「泣かんばかりに」) |
| かのように | plain form + かのように | as if…, contrary to fact (N3 Lesson 52) |
| ばかりに | plain form + ばかりに | just because… (leading to something bad) (N2 Lesson 60) |
「出ていけとばかりに、ドアを指さした」= pointed at the door as if to say "Get out" (a sentence comes before)
「泣かんばかりに頼んだ」= begged, almost in tears (the degree of an action comes before)
「と言わんばかりに」= 「とばかりに」; the two are often interchangeable
「ばかりに」 looks similar but means something else entirely: 「一言多かったばかりに、彼女を怒らせてしまった」 (just because I said one word too many, I made her angry).
✍ Practice this point (3 questions)
Practice
Part 1: Choose the appropriate grammar (かたがた / がてら / かたわら / つ〜つ / なりに / なりの / とばかりに / ながら)
- 彼女は本業の（ ）、地域のボランティア活動にも力を入れている。
- 駅まで散歩（ ）、ポストに手紙を出してきた。
- 先日のお詫び（ ）、改めてご挨拶に伺います。
- 素人には素人（ ）楽しみ方がある。
- 彼は「もう話すことはない」（ ）、席を立って部屋を出ていった。
- 決勝戦は抜き（ ）抜かれ（ ）の接戦となった。
- 音楽を聞き（ ）勉強するのが私の習慣だ。
- 母は母（ ）、家計を助けようとパートを始めた。
Part 2: Translate into Japanese
- I'd like to visit my teacher, partly to tell her how I've been doing. (Use かたがた)
- Alongside his office job, he studies at graduate school. (Use かたわら)
- I went for a walk and did my shopping on the way. (Use がてら)
- I didn't really understand it, but I did my best in my own way. (Use なりに)
- He paced up and down the corridor, waiting for the operation to finish. (Use つ〜つ)
- The cat keeps meowing at me, as if to say, "Feed me now." (Use とばかりに)
Answers
- かたわら
- がてら (「かたがた」 isn't strictly wrong, but it is far too formal for posting a letter)
- かたがた (「お詫び」 + 「伺います」 — formal business phrasing)
- なりの (a noun, 「楽しみ方」, follows, so 「なりの」)
- とばかりに
- つ / つ
- ながら (two actions at the same time; neither 「がてら」 nor 「かたわら」 works)
- なりに (a verb follows, so 「なりに」)
- 近況のご報告かたがた、先生をお訪ねしたいと思います。
- 彼は会社に勤めるかたわら、大学院で学んでいる。(「会社勤めのかたわら」 also works)
- 散歩がてら買い物に行った。
- よく分からなかったが、自分なりに精一杯やってみた。
- 彼は廊下を行きつ戻りつしながら、手術が終わるのを待っていた。
- 猫は早くご飯をくれとばかりに、しきりに私に向かって鳴いている。
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