You want to have breakfast and watch TV, but you don’t have enough time.

You will want to do the two things at the same time, right?

How can you explain this situation in Japanese?

In this article, I teach you how you can explain this situation in Japanese.

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~ながら

We use “~ながら、…” to say that two actions will occur at the same time.

For example, you want to have breakfast and watch tv, so you do them at the same time.

(ex) わたしは あさごはんを たべながら、テレビをみます。
I have breakfast while watching TV.

In this case, you can use ~ながら、~.

V-ます+ながら

たべます→たべ→たべながら。

Please keep it mind that the two verbs always are the same subject.

Therefore, you can’t say that わたしは テレビを みながら、ちちは あさごはんを たべます because it mentions two different actions by different people.

You should also consider which actions you focus on especially.

The verb you want to focus on comes back.

Let’s think one example.

You are using a dictionary to read a Japanese book.

Which is your main action?

That is reading a book, right?

That’s why you can’t say that わたしは ほんを よみながら、じしょで しらべています.

Instead, you should say that わたしは じしょで しらべながら、ほんを よんで います, which means I’m reading a book while looking up with a dictionary.

~て VS ~ながら

What is the difference between ~て and ~ながら.

If you say that さとうを いれて コーヒーを のみます, that means you put sugar into coffee and then drink it.

If you say that さとうを いれながら コーヒーを のみます, that means you put sugar into coffee and drink it at the same time.

I would image it would be something like this.

I believe that no one drinks coffee while putting sugar into coffee, so you should say that さとうを いれて、コーヒーをのみます.

If you don’t know what テ form is, please read this article.

Learning Japanese conjugation te form

conclusion

We use “~ながら、…” to say that two actions occur at the same time.

Conjugation:

V-ます+ながら

Exercise

There are conjugation rules, but one of the best ways to remember them is to use them in conversation.

You have lots of opportunity to speak Japanese in Youと日本語 classes.

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