Lesson 185: がてら・かたわら・ながらに・と相まって
N1 · Lesson 185 · 18 min — Two things in one trip, on the side of a main job, tearful / born / as of old, and working together: Rin's first time guiding Grandpa!
Last lesson, in Asakusa, Grandpa ate melon pan 「五十年前の ごとく」. Today Rin becomes a real guide and shows Grandpa around Tokyo. This lesson has four patterns: がてら／かたがた (while at it, also ~), かたわら (alongside a main job), ながらに (staying in a state: in tears, by birth, as of old), and と相まって (two things working together). Let's read the comic first!
After this lesson, you can:
- Use がてら／かたがた for “while I'm at it, also ~”: 散歩がてら、お礼かたがた
- Use かたわら for “alongside (my main job), also ~”: ガイドの かたわら、通訳も する
- Use ながらに／ながらの for “staying in the same state”: 涙ながらに、生まれながらの (生まれる = to be born)、昔ながらの
- Use と相まって for “working together with ~”: 景色が 天気と 相まって
Guide Rin's Tokyo Day Trip
After Asakusa, Rin becomes a real guide and takes Grandpa on a stroll from Yanaka to Ueno (散歩 = stroll, 通訳 = interpreter, 涙 = tears, 景色 = scenery, 相まって = working together)
がてら = two things in one trip; かたわら = beside a main job; ながらに = staying in a state; と相まって = working together. Tonight, Rin opens Hana's last page...
Words for this lesson: A Day Around Tokyo
- 〜がてら (gatera): while at it, also ~ (two things in one trip)
- 〜かたがた (katagata): while at it, also ~ (formal, letters)
- 〜かたわら (katawara): alongside (a main job), also ~
- 〜ながらに／ながらの (nagara ni / nagara no): staying in a state (in tears, by birth, as of old)
- 〜と相まって (to aimatte): working together with ~, combined with ~ for an even stronger effect
- 散歩 (sanpo): stroll, walk
- 上野 (Ueno): Ueno (a Tokyo area with a park, a zoo and shopping streets)
- ガイド (gaido): guide
- 通訳 (tsūyaku): interpreting, interpreter
- 涙 (namida): tears
- 生まれる (umareru): to be born
- 生まれながら (umarenagara): by birth, naturally
- 景色 (keshiki): scenery, view
- 最高 (saikō): the best, awesome
- 食べ歩き (tabearuki): eating your way around, walking and snacking
- 観光 (kankō): sightseeing
- 観光客 (kankōkyaku): tourist
- 立派な (rippa na): fine, impressive
- 残る (nokoru): to remain, to be left
- 寄る (yoru): to drop by, to stop in (本屋に 寄る)
- 本屋 (hon'ya): bookstore
- カフェ (kafe): cafe
- 駅前 (ekimae): in front of the station
- お礼 (orei): thanks, a thank-you gift
- ご挨拶 (goaisatsu): greeting, a courtesy visit (polite form of 挨拶)
- ご報告 (gohōkoku): report (polite form of 報告)
- 近況 (kinkyō): recent news, how one has been
- 本業 (hongyō): main job, main occupation
- 小説 (shōsetsu): novel
- 絵本 (ehon): picture book
- 作家 (sakka): author, writer
- 才能 (sainō): talent, gift
- 努力 (doryoku): effort
- 円安 (en'yasu): weak yen
- 雰囲気 (fun'iki): atmosphere, mood
- 静けさ (shizukesa): quietness, calm (noun)
- 和菓子 (wagashi): Japanese sweets, wagashi
- 豆腐 (tōfu): tofu
Grammar 1 / 4: がてら・かたがた
N / ます-stem + がてら: you do one thing and, while at it, do another (one trip, two purposes). For formal speech and letters use N + かたがた: お礼かたがた、ご挨拶に 伺います = I will visit to greet you, and to thank you at the same time.
- Form: N / ます-stem + がてら: A noun attaches directly: 散歩がてら、買い物がてら. A verb uses its ます-stem (ます removed): 送りがてら、遊びがてら. It cannot follow the dictionary form.
- Meaning: two things in one trip: While doing A, you use the chance to do B too. What follows is often a movement verb like 行く・歩く・寄る・来る.
- かたがた: the formal version: N + かたがた. The noun is usually お礼・ご挨拶・ご報告. Used in letters and formal visits: お礼かたがた、近況を ご報告いたします.
- Compare with ついでに: ついでに also means “while at it” and can start a sentence: ついでに、パンも 買った. がてら always comes right after A. A is the main thing (or the excuse), and B is done along the way. Movement verbs usually follow.
- 散歩がてら、パンを 買いに 行こう。 — Let's take a walk and buy some bread on the way.
- 友だちを 駅まで 送りがてら、本屋に 寄った。 — I saw my friend to the station and dropped by the bookstore on the way.
- 買い物がてら、新しい カフェを 見て きた。 — I went shopping and also checked out the new cafe.
- お礼かたがた、ご挨拶に 伺います。 — I'll visit you to say thank you and to say hello.
- お礼かたがた、近況を ご報告いたします。 — I'm writing to thank you, and also to update you on how I am. (common in letters)
Grammar 2 / 4: かたわら
Dictionary form / Nの + かたわら: alongside your main job, you also do another thing over a long period. ガイドの かたわら、通訳も する = alongside working as a guide, I also interpret.
- Form: Nの / dictionary form + かたわら: A noun needs の: ガイドの かたわら、仕事の かたわら. A verb uses the dictionary form: 教える かたわら.
- Meaning: alongside the main job, also ~: Before it is your main work or role (main job, studies). After it is another thing you keep doing over time (side job, hobby, volunteering).
- Different from ながら: ながら is for one moment, at the same time: 音楽を 聞きながら 勉強する. かたわら is for two things running in parallel over a long period: 会社の 仕事の かたわら、小説を 書く.
- Mostly used to introduce people: Most common in profiles, resumes and news: 「～は○○の かたわら、△△も して いる」. In the comic, Rin uses the polite voice of a guide introducing himself (いたします), so かたわら fits well. In casual chat with friends it sounds stiff.
- ガイドの かたわら、通訳も して いる。 — Alongside working as a guide, I also interpret.
- 田中さんは 大学で 教える かたわら、小説を 書いて いる。 — Mr. Tanaka teaches at a university and also writes novels.
- 父は 会社の 仕事の かたわら、野菜を 作って いる。 — My dad works at a company and also grows vegetables.
- 熊太は 勉強の かたわら、アルバイトを 三つも して いる。 — Kumata is a student, and amazingly he works three part-time jobs too.
- 熊太の お母さんは 作家の 仕事の かたわら、日本語を 教えて いる。 — Kumata's mother is a writer and also teaches Japanese.
Grammar 3 / 4: ながらに
N / ます-stem + ながらに (ながらの): staying in the same state. Only a few fixed words work: 涙ながらに (in tears), 生まれながらに (by birth), 昔ながらの (just as it has always been).
- Form: fixed words + ながらに: The common ones are just these: 涙ながらに、生まれながらに／の (生まれ = birth)、昔ながらの、いつもながら. Learn each one as a whole word. Don't make up your own.
- Meaning: staying in a state: 涙ながらに = with tears all the while; 生まれながらに = since birth; 昔ながらの = unchanged from long ago until now; いつもながら = as always.
- に or の?: Before a verb or a clause: 涙ながらに 話す、生まれながらに 才能が ある. Directly before a noun: 昔ながらの 作り方、生まれながらの ガイド. Exception: いつもながら usually leads straight into the next words (いつもながら おいしい), with no に.
- Tell the three ながら apart: ます-stem + ながら = doing A while doing B (聞きながら); ながらも = although ~, still ~ (小さいながらも); ながらに = staying in a state (涙ながらに).
- 祖父は 涙ながらに 昔の 話を した。 — Grandpa told stories of the past in tears.
- 田中さんは 生まれながらに 音楽の 才能が ある。 — Mr. Tanaka has had a musical gift since birth.
- リンは 生まれながらの ガイドだ。 — Rin is a born guide.
- この 店は 昔ながらの 作り方で 豆腐を 作って いる。 — This shop makes tofu in the traditional, unchanged way.
- くまやの ラーメンは、いつもながら おいしい。 — The ramen at くまや is as delicious as ever.
Grammar 4 / 4: と相まって
N + と相まって: two factors add up and boost each other, so the result stands out more. 景色が 天気と 相まって、最高だ = the scenery together with the weather is simply perfect.
- Form: N + と相まって: Add と 相まって after a noun. Two word orders: 景色が 天気と 相まって / 安さと おいしさが 相まって.
- Meaning: 1 + 1 > 2: Two factors act together and make the result stronger. It's not just “together with.” It means they add to each other (or make each other worse).
- Good or bad, both work: Good result: 才能が 努力と 相まって、夢が かなった. A bad result works too: 雨が 風と 相まって、電車が 止まった.
- Not for “together with a person”: “Going with a friend” is 友だちと 一緒に. What comes before と相まって is a condition, a feature or a cause, not a person you act with.
- 景色が 天気と 相まって、最高の 一日に なった。 — Lovely scenery plus good weather made it the best day.
- 才能が 努力と 相まって、夢が かなった。 — Talent combined with effort made the dream come true.
- 安さと おいしさが 相まって、この 店は いつも 人気だ。 — Cheap and tasty together, this shop is always popular.
- 円安が アニメの 人気と 相まって、観光客が 増えた。 — The weak yen, together with the popularity of anime, brought more tourists.
- 町の 静けさが 古い 建物と 相まって、特別な 雰囲気が ある。 — The quietness of the town, together with the old buildings, creates a special atmosphere.