JLPT N1・N5 Grammar – Difference between “〜ながら” and “〜がてら”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “〜ながら” and “〜がてら”
2. AながらB
3. AがてらB
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similer Articles
8. Comment
Q: What’s the difference between “〜ながら” and “〜がてら”?
A: Both are used in situations where two actions happen in parallel, but they differ clearly in meaning, usage, and nuance.
“〜ながら” is used when two actions are happening at the same time.
“〜がてら” is used when doing one action as the main purpose and taking the opportunity to do another at the same time.
Let’s take a closer look.
AながらB (JLPT N5)
[Meaning]
One person performs actions A and B at the same time
[Rule]
[V] Verb stem + ながら
[Examples]
料理番組を見ながら、料理を作るのが好きです。
I like cooking while watching cooking shows.
音楽を聞きながらランニングします。
I go running while listening to music.
留学中、カフェで働きながら学校に通っていました。
While studying abroad, I commuted to school while working at a café.
“A ながら B” means that A is the sub (supporting) action, and B is the main action.
As long as both actions are happening at the same time, this form can be used for both short-term and long-term actions.
[Examples] (Short-term)
YouTubeを見ながら、お風呂に入ります。
I take a bath while watching YouTube.
⇒ The main action is “taking a bath.”
同僚とコーヒーを飲みながら話しました。
I talked with my colleague while drinking coffee.
母は歌いながら掃除をしています。
My mother is cleaning while singing.
[Examples] (Long-term)
アルバイトをしながら、日本語学校に通っています。
I go to Japanese language school while working a part-time job.
⇒ The main action is going to Japanese school, and the part-time job is done alongside it.
社員として働きながら、自分のビジネスもしています。
I run my own business while working as a full-time employee.
講師の仕事をしながら、子育てをしています。
I raise my child while working as a teacher.
AがてらB (JLPT N1)
[Meaning]
Doing B on the occasion of A, which is already planned or decided in advance
[Rule]
[N] Noun of a する verb + がてら
[Examples]
外出がてら、晩ごはんも食べて帰ろうか。
I might grab dinner on my way back while I’m out.
福岡へ出張がてら、観光もしました。
While on a business trip to Fukuoka, I also did some sightseeing.
買い物がてら郵便局に寄りました。
I stopped by the post office while out shopping.
Unlike “ながら,” which expresses two actions happening at the same time, in “がてら,” action B is an additional purpose that accompanies action A.
Also, unlike “ながら,” the words used with “がてら” are somewhat limited.
[Words often used for A]
散歩 (a walk), 買い物 (shopping), 旅行 (travel), 外出 (going out), 出張 (business trip), 訪問 (visit), 帰省 (returning home), etc.
[Words often used for B]
行く (go), 帰る (return), 歩く (walk), 訪れる (visit), 届ける (deliver), 観光する (sightsee), etc.
(These are mainly actions that involve)
[Examples]
散歩がてら、花を買いに行きました。
I went to buy flowers while I was out for a walk.
⇒ It means that going for a walk was already planned, and buying flowers was done on the way.
買い物がてら、近所の公園まで歩きに行こう。
I’ll walk to the nearby park while I’m out shopping.
外出がてら、資料を取引先へ持っていきました。
I brought some documents to a client while I was out.
Let’s Compare
Which expression is appropriate in the following case?
[Example]
① 看護師になるために、病院でバイトしながら学校に通っています。
② 看護師になるために、病院でバイトがてら学校に通っています。
The correct answer is ①.
“ながら” can be used for two actions that are performed simultaneously over a long period of time.
On the other hand, “がてら” is used for temporary actions or when one action is done as a side purpose, so sentence ② sounds unnatural.
Now, how about the following example?
[Example]
① 写真を撮りながら、公園を歩きました。
② 写真の撮影がてら、公園を歩きました。
Both are grammatically correct, but their meanings are different.
① expresses that the actions of walking and taking photos were happening at the same time.
② shows that the main purpose was to take photos, and walking in the park was done as a secondary activity.
Summary
[AながらB]
- It expresses that a person is doing both action A (sub action) and action B (main action) at the same time.
- As long as actions A and B happen simultaneously, “ながら” can be used for both short-term and long-term actions.
[AがてらB]
- This expresses doing action B (an additional action) while taking the opportunity of doing A (the main purpose, already decided).
- It does not show simultaneous actions but rather a combination of a main and a secondary purpose. It is not used for long-term actions.
- The vocabulary used is somewhat limited—A is often a noun involving movement, such as “a walk,” “going out,” or “shopping,” and B is often a movement-related verb like “go” or “visit.”
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. 聞きながら
音楽を聞きながら走るのが好きです。
I like running while listening to music.
*Since the two actions, “listening to music” and “running,” are happening at the same time, “ながら” is appropriate.
A. 帰省がてら
帰省がてら学生のときの友人の家を訪ねました。
I visited a friend from my student days while returning home.
*Since visiting the friend was done on the side while returning home, the nuance makes “がてら” appropriate.
A. 看ながら
母の面倒を看ながらパートをしています。
I work part-time while taking care of my mother.
*Since both “taking care of my mother” and “working part-time” are ongoing actions done at the same time, “ながら” is appropriate.
A. 買い物がてら
買い物がてら祖母に会いに行きました。
I went to visit my grandmother while I was out shopping.
*Since the main purpose was shopping and visiting my grandmother was a side activity, “がてら” is appropriate.
Similer Articles
▼ Subscribe to Our Newsletter ▼
Receive free tips for learning Japanese!
