“〜to tomo ni”: Together With / Accompanying / As [JLPT N3]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
A full grasp of 「〜とともに」 — from joint, accompanying, to the ‘as' (simultaneous) sense.
“〜to tomo ni”: Together With / Accompanying / As
「(noun/verb dict. form) ＋ とともに」 has three main uses: ① joint “together with 〜” (joint action): 「仲間とともに、プロジェクトを成功させた」 (succeeded in the project together with comrades); ② accompanying “accompanied by 〜” (simultaneous): 「彼女は涙とともに、感謝の言葉を述べた」 (she gave words of thanks accompanied by tears); ③ as “as 〜 (changes)” (linked change): 「技術が進歩するとともに、新しい問題も出てくる」 (as technology advances, new problems also emerge). ⚠️ Contrast with 「につれて」: とともに = joint/accompanying/as (broader, written); につれて = as (only gradual change)! ⚠️ Connection: noun/verb dict. form ＋ とともに.
🧠 Core nuance: joint, simultaneous accompaniment, linked change
The core is とともに's three uses: joint, accompanying, as (linked change): ① joint ‘together with …' — joint action, a partner (仲間とともに頑張る = work hard together with comrades, 家族とともに過ごす = spend time with family, ≒ と一緒に, more written); ② accompanying ‘accompanied by …' — one thing occurring with, alongside another (涙とともに語る = recount through tears, 雷とともに大雨が降った = heavy rain fell with thunder); ③ as ‘as … (changes)' — the first changes, the latter changes accordingly (時代とともに変わる = change with the times, 経済の発展とともに環境問題が深刻化 = as the economy develops, environmental problems worsen, ≒ につれて). ⚠️ Core contrast with 「につれて」: 「とともに」 = joint/accompanying/as (broader, more written, can express joint action); 「につれて」 = only ‘as,' gradual change (linked, can't express joint action)! とともに has broader use. ⚠️ Contrast with 「と一緒に」: とともに is more written, と一緒に more colloquial (joint action). ⚠️ Connection: noun ＋ とともに (仲間とともに); verb dict. form ＋ とともに (発展するとともに). An N3 pattern for joint/accompanying/change.
📌 Connection/Three Uses
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| joint (together with 〜) | noun ＋ とともに | 仲間とともに |
| accompanying (accompanied by 〜) | noun ＋ とともに | 涙とともに |
| as (linked change) | noun/verb dict. form ＋ とともに | 進歩するとともに |
💬 Example Sentences
- 彼は仲間とともに、プロジェクトを成功させた。(He succeeded in the project together with his comrades.) — joint
- 技術が進歩するとともに、新しい問題も出てくる。(As technology advances, new problems also emerge.) — as (linked)
- 経済の発展とともに、環境問題が深刻化している。(As the economy develops, environmental problems are worsening.) — as
- 彼女は涙とともに、感謝の言葉を述べた。(She gave words of thanks accompanied by tears.) — accompanying
- 年齢を重ねるとともに、考え方も変わってきた。(As I've aged, my way of thinking has changed too.) — as
🔄 Compare: とともに vs と一緒に vs につれて vs に伴って
| Expression | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜とともに | joint/accompanying/as (broad, more written) | 仲間とともに/進歩とともに |
| 〜と一緒に | together with 〜 (joint, more colloquial) | 友達と一緒に |
| 〜につれて | as 〜 (only gradual change) | 進歩するにつれて |
| 〜に伴って | accompanying 〜 (as, more written) | 発展に伴って |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Three uses by context: joint (仲間とともに), accompanying (涙とともに), as (進歩するとともに), by context.
- Distinguish from につれて: とともに has broad use (can express joint); につれて only expresses ‘as,' gradual change.
- Connection: noun ＋ とともに, verb dict. form ＋ とともに.
- More written: とともに leans written, formal; colloquial joint uses と一緒に.
💡 Nuance & When to Use
「とともに」 has three uses: joint ‘together with 〜' (仲間とともに), accompanying ‘accompanied by 〜' (涙とともに), as ‘as 〜 changes' (進歩するとともに, linked). ⚠️ Distinguish from the ‘only gradual change' につれて — とともに has broad use (incl. joint/accompanying), につれて only ‘as.' Near the colloquial と一緒に and the written に伴って. Attaches to noun/verb dict. form. More written. A must at N3.
🎯 JLPT Exam Tips
- High-frequency N3: noun/verb dict. form ＋ とともに = joint (together with 〜)/accompanying (accompanied by 〜)/as (linked change).
- Core distinction: とともに (broad: joint/accompanying/as) vs につれて (only gradual change, can't express joint).
- Near-synonyms: と一緒に (joint, colloquial), に伴って (accompanying/as, written); とともに is more written.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 「彼は仲間___、プロジェクトを成功させた。」(together with comrades — joint)
(A) について (B) とともに (C) によって (D) に対して
Q2. 「技術が進歩する___、新しい問題も出てくる。」(as technology advances — simultaneous change)
(A) とともに (B) からには (C) ばかりに (D) どころか
Q3. Which is NOT a meaning of 「〜とともに」?
(A) 〜と一緒に (joint) (B) 〜につれて (simultaneous change) (C) 〜の代わりに (instead of) (D) 〜と同時に
Q4. 「経済の発展___、環境問題が深刻化している。」(as the economy develops)
(A) に反して (B) を込めて (C) とともに (D) はもとより
Q5. 「彼女は涙___、感謝の言葉を述べた。」(accompanied by tears)
(A) とともに (B) において (C) によって (D) について
Answer Key
1. (B) とともに ── 仲間とともに = together with comrades (joint action).
2. (A) とともに ── as technology advances, new problems also emerge (simultaneous/linked change).
3. (C) 〜の代わりに ── ‘instead of' is NOT a meaning of とともに (joint/accompanying/as are).
4. (C) とともに ── 発展とともに = as the economy develops (linked change).
5. (A) とともに ── 涙とともに = accompanied by tears.