〜とともに

Meaning

〜とともに indicates that one action or state occurs simultaneously with another, or changes together with another. It expresses a sense of things happening in parallel or changing in accompaniment with something else. This pattern is synonymous with 〜に伴って/に伴い and can be used with both verbs and nouns.

Formation

Examples

1. 台風の接近とともに、広範囲にわたって大雨が降ります。台風の接近に伴い、広範囲にわたって大雨が降ります。
   As the typhoon approaches, heavy rain falls across a wide area.

2. お正月は家族とともに過ごしたい。
   I want to spend New Year's together with my family.

3. 上海は、北京とともに中国経済の中心地である。
   Shanghai, along with Beijing, is a center of China's economy.

4. 代表に選ばれなくて悔しいとともに、ほっとする気持ちもあった。
   Not being selected as a representative was disappointing, yet at the same time I felt relieved.

5. 映画の開映の時間になり、館内が暗くなるとともに、周囲が急に静かになった。
   When the movie's start time arrived and the theater darkened, the surroundings suddenly became quiet.

Summary

• Use とともに to show two things happening simultaneously or changing together
• Can attach to verb dictionary form (〜とともに) or nouns (〜とともに) to indicate parallel events
• When describing changes or transformations, とともに clearly marks what triggers or accompanies that change