JLPT N2・N3 Grammar – The difference between “〜に従って” and “〜に伴って”

Table of Contents

1. The difference between “〜に従したがって” and “〜に伴ともなって”
2. Aに従したがってB
3. Aに伴ともなってB
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comments

Q: Is there a difference between “〜に従したがって” and “〜に伴ともって”?

A: “〜に従したがって” and “〜に伴ともって” are very similar, but there is a slight difference in how they are used.
Both can mean “when A changes, B also changes.”
However, “〜に従したがって” can also mean to act according to rules or instructions.
On the other hand, “〜に伴ともって” is often used to mean that B happens together with A, or that B happens in relation to A.

Aに従したがってB (JLPT N3)

[Rules]
[V] Verb dictionary form＋に従したがって
[N] Noun＋に従したがって

[Words often used together]

年齢ねんれい (age), 変化へんか (change), 増加ぞうか (increase), 減少げんしょう (decrease), ルール (rules), 指示しじ (instructions), 法律ほうりつ (laws), 説明せつめい書しょ (instruction manual)

[Meaning ①]
When A changes, B gradually changes as well

[Examples]　
年としをとるに従したがって、体からだが弱よわくなってきました。
As I age, my body has become weaker.

台風たいふうが近ちかづくに従したがって、風かぜが強つよくなってきました。
As the typhoon approached, the wind became stronger.

スマホの普及ふきゅうに従したがって、私わたしたち生活せいかつは便利べんりになりました。
As smartphones have become more widespread, our lives have become more convenient.

[Meaning ②]
To act according to rules, instructions, explanations, etc.

[Examples]　
説明せつめい書しょに従したがって家具かぐを組み立く　たてました。
I assembled the furniture according to the instructions.

地域ちいきのルールに従したがってごみを捨ててください。

Please dispose of the garbage according to the local rules.

先生せんせいの指示しじに従したがって広場ひろばへ行いきましょう。

Let’s go to the square according to the teacher’s instructions.

Aに伴ともなってB (JLPT N2)

[Rules]
[V] Verb dictionary form ＋に伴ともなって
[N] Noun (of a する verb)＋に伴ともなって

[Words often used together]

少子しょうし化か (declining birthrate), 人口じんこう増加ぞうか (population growth), 発展はってん (development), 変化へんか (change), 工事こうじ (construction work), 移転いてん (relocation), 就職しゅうしょく (getting a job), 結婚けっこん (marriage), 病気びょうきの回復かいふく (recovery from illness)

[Meaning ①]
When A changes, B, which is related to A, also changes.

[Examples]
少子しょうし化かが進すすむに伴ともなって、学校がっこうの数かずも減へってきています。
As the birthrate declines, the number of schools is also decreasing.

人口じんこうの増加ぞうかに伴ともなって、ビルや家いえが急激きゅうげきに増ふえています。
As the population increases, the number of buildings and houses is rapidly increasing.

病気びょうきの回復かいふくに伴ともなって、食欲しょくよくが戻もどってきました。
As I recovered from my illness, my appetite got back.

インターネットの普及ふきゅうに伴ともなって、オンラインで買かい物ものをする人ひとが増ふえました。
With the spread of the internet, the number of people shopping online has increased.

[Meaning 2]
B happens together with A, or B happens in relation to A.

[Examples]
システムの改修かいしゅうに伴ともって、一時いちじ的てきにサービスを停止ていしします。
The service will be temporarily unavailable due to system updates.

道路どうろ工事こうじに伴ともって、この道みちは2週間しゅうかん通行つうこう止どめになります。

Due to road construction, this road will be closed for two weeks.

就職しゅうしょくに伴ともって、東京とうきょうに引っ越ひ　こすことになりました。

I moved to Tokyo because I got a job.

Let’s Compare

First, let’s think about the basic meaning of each word.

[従したがう]
① One thing changes in accordance with the change of another thing
② To accept and follow an order, instruction, rule, etc.

[伴ともなう]
① When something changes, something related to it also changes together
② Another thing happens together with something

Cases where both can be used

When B changes in accordance with the change of A, as in the following example, neither expression sounds very unnatural.

[Example]
年としをとるに従したがって、体からだが弱よわくなってきました。
年としをとるに伴ともなって、体からだが弱よわくなってきました。
As I age, my body has become weaker.

When “〜に従したがって” is used, it emphasizes that B gradually changes in accordance with the change of A.
In this example, it gives the image that as the change of “getting older” progresses, the change of “the body becoming weaker” also progresses little by little.
When “〜に伴ともって” is used, it emphasizes that B happens together with A, or that B happens in relation to the change of A.
In this example, it gives the image that “getting older” and “the body becoming weaker” are related and happen together.

With this point in mind, let’s look at the following examples.

[Example]
会社かいしゃの業績ぎょうせきが悪わるくなるに従したがって、社員しゃいんの削減さくげん数すうが増ふえました。

As the company’s performance worsened, the number of employees being reduced increased.

会社かいしゃの業績ぎょうせき悪化あっかに伴ともなって、100人にんの社員しゃいんがリストラされることになりました。
Due to the worsening of the company’s performance, 100 employees were laid off.

“〜に従したがって” is easy to use when B gradually changes in accordance with the change of A.
Therefore, it works well with sentences where B also changes in stages, as in “as the company’s performance worsened, the number of employees being reduced increased.”

On the other hand, “〜に伴ともって” is easy to use when B happens in relation to A.
Therefore, it can be used to express that one event happened in connection with another event, as in “due to the worsening of the company’s performance, 100 employees were laid off.”

Cases where only “〜に従したがって” can be used

When acting according to “laws, rules, instructions, instruction manuals,” etc., “〜に従したがって” is used.
In this meaning, it cannot be replaced with “〜に伴ともって.”

[Examples]
◯ 地域ちいきのルールに従したがってごみを捨すててください。
× 地域ちいきのルールに伴ともなってごみを捨すててください。
Please dispose of the garbage according to the local rules.

◯ 先生せんせいの指示しじに従したがって広場ひろばへ行いきましょう。
× 先生せんせいの指示しじに伴ともなって広場ひろばへ行いきましょう。
Let’s go to the square according to the teacher’s instructions.

Cases where only “〜に伴ともって” can be used

When B happens together with A, or B happens in relation to A, “〜に伴ともって” is used.

In this case, replacing it with “〜に従したがって” sounds unnatural.

[Examples]
◯ 道路どうろ工事こうじに伴ともって、この道みちは2週間しゅうかん通行つうこう止どめになります。

× 道路どうろ工事こうじに従したがって、この道みちは2週間しゅうかん通行つうこう止どめになります。

Due to road construction, this road will be closed for two weeks.

◯ 就職しゅうしょくに伴ともって、東京とうきょうに引っ越ひ　こすことになりました。

× 就職しゅうしょくに従したがって、東京とうきょうに引っ越ひ　こすことになりました。

I moved to Tokyo because I got a job.

Summary

[Aに従したがってB]

• B gradually changes in accordance with the change of A.
• To act according to an order, instruction, rule, explanation, etc.

[Aに伴ともなってB]

• When A changes, B, which is related to A, also changes together.
• B happens at the same time in relation to A.

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.

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