654 - とともに (as...)

JLPT N2: とともに (as...)

I never thought that とともに was confusing... until I started writing lessons about it.

The grammar books that I consult divide とともに into all types of different categories.

We've already seen a couple:
- [NDL #324] - JLPT N3: とともに (together with)
- [NDL #381] - JLPT N2: とともに (and in addition)

Rather than go on and on about the minor differences between the different usages of とともに, I prefer to focus on the similarities:

とともに means something along the lines of "together with," "alongside," "along with," and so on.

とともに is typically used in written language. You won't commonly hear it in daily conversation.

↑ Just knowing those two things was enough for me.

Still, I guess we can make things more complicated...


The specific usage of とともに we're looking at in this lesson relates to correlation.

That is, we are talking about how something happens as a result of something else.

We use "with" or "along with" this way in English, too, so this usage of とともにseems to make sense:


インターネットの発展とともに、次々と新しい広告が生まれている。
インターネット の はってん とともに、 つぎつぎ と あたらしい こうこく が うまれている。
With the development of the Internet, new types of advertising are springing up one after another.
Literally: “Internet + の + development + とともに, + one by one / in succession + new + advertisement + が + is being born.”

Sometimes it will also be natural to translate this as "as:"


犬も人間と同じように、年齢を重ねるとともに体力が衰えていきます。
いぬ も にんげん と おなじ ように、 ねんれい を かさねる とともに たいりょく が おとろえて いきます。
Just like humans, as dogs get older, their bodies become weaker.
Literally: “dog + も + human + と + the same + ように (=like), + age + を + pile up + とともに + physical strength + が + declines / becomes weak (and) + goes.”

We just saw a somewhat similar construction: [NDL #653] - JLPT N3: に従って (にしたがって).


Making Sentences with とともに

Like the usage of とともに we saw in this lesson, but unlike this usage, the "as... とともに" can come after VERBS in plain present tense or NOUNS:

V るとともに
NOUNとともに

We've already seen one example of each of these, and we'll see one more of each again below.



LCCの需要の増加とともにパイロット不足が深刻になっている。
エルシーシー の じゅよう の ぞうか とともに パイロット ぶそく が しんこく に なっている。
As the demand for low-cost carriers increases, the shortage of pilots is becoming a serious issue.
Literally: “low-cost carrier / low-cost airline + の + demand + の + increase + とともに + pilot + shortage + が + serious / grave + に + is becoming.”



Our last example doesn't have "with" or "as" in the translation, which is also a possibility:


体力が回復していくとともに、リハビリを始めようと思っています。
たいりょく が かいふく して いく とともに、 リハビリ を はじめよう と おもっています。
I think I will start rehab when I begin getting my strength back.
Literally: “physical strength + が + recover + do (and) + go + とともに, + rehab + を + have been thinking about starting (=let’s start + と + am thinking).”


Finished!

Well, kind of... we actually have yet another N2 lesson on とともに that we'll look at in the future.

But hey, we're 3/4 done with とともに, at least...

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