JLPT N1: がてら

Pop quiz, hotshot.

Read this sentence, then tell me what がてら means:

散歩がてら、スーパーに行って買い物をしてきた。
さんぽ　がてら、　スーパー　に　いって　かいもの　を　して　きた。

💀💀 Thinking Space 💀💀
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
Thinking 🐯 🐯 🐯 🐯 Space
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
💀💀 Thinking Space 💀💀
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
Thinking 🐯 🐯 🐯 🐯 Space
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
💀💀 Thinking Space 💀💀

Coming up short?

Try again:

散歩がてら、スーパーに行って買い物をしてきた。
さんぽ　がてら、　スーパー　に　いって　かいもの　を　して　きた。
Literally: “going for a walk + がてら, + supermarket + に + go (and) + shopping + を + do (and) + came.”

💀💀 Thinking Space 💀💀
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
Thinking 🐯 🐯 🐯 🐯 Space
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
💀💀 Thinking Space 💀💀
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
Thinking 🐯 🐯 🐯 🐯 Space
↑　→　↓　←　↑　→　↓　←
💀💀 Thinking Space 💀💀

Still nothing?

How about now:

散歩がてら、スーパーに行って買い物をしてきた。
さんぽ　がてら、　スーパー　に　いって　かいもの　を　して　きた。
On my walk, I also went by the supermarket to do some shopping.
Literally: “going for a walk + がてら, + supermarket + に + go (and) + shopping + を + do (and) + came.”

So it means... "also?"

Uh... kind of, I suppose.

We use がてら when two actions are conveniently done together.

In the above sentence, "going for a walk" and "going to the supermarket" are the two actions that went together nicely.

Or in this next sentence, we have "going on a business trip" and "going sightseeing:"

出張がてら、ソウルの名所を観光して来よう。
しゅっちょう　がてら、　ソウル　の　めいしょ　を　かんこう　して　こよう。
While on my business trip, I think I'll also do some sightseeing around Seoul.
Literally: “business trip + がてら, + Seoul + の + famous spot + を + sightseeing + do (and) + let’s come.”

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Question #1:
Is がてら super-uper-dooper-pooper-scooper common?

Well... it's not "rare," per se. You may hear it from time to time.

Question #2:
How do we use がてら in a sentence?

By putting it after the ます-stem of a verb or after a -する NOUN (=a noun capable of pairing up with する):

V ます ＋ がてら
-する NOUN ＋ がてら

By the way, you'll notice that the phrases coming after がてら often contain words that denote movement, like 行く (いく // to go).

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Two more examples, and you'll be the がてら master...

けがをした友人の家に、見舞いがてら遊びに行くことにした。
けが　を　した　ゆうじん　の　いえ　に、　みまい　がてら　あそび　に　いく　こと　に　した。
I decided to visit my friend, both to hang out and to check on how she was doing (after getting hurt).
Literally: “injury + を + did + friend + の + house + に, + visiting someone who is sick or hurt + がてら + go to hang out (=playing + に + go) + こと + に + did.”

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ドライブがてら、建設中のサグラダ・ファミリアを見に行った。
ドライブ　がてら、　けんせつちゅう　の　サグラダ・ファミリア　を　み　に　いった。
On my drive, I also went to see Sagrada Família, which is under construction.
Literally: “going for a drive + がてら, + under construction + の + Sagrada Família + を + went to see (=seeing + に + went).”

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Another lesson finished.

If only everyone would just realize how proud of you they should be for trying so hard to master Japanese...

For what it's worth, I, for one, appreciate your hard work, yo.