〜かたわら: 'While Also Doing' (Meaning + Examples)
Two things happening side by side
〜かたわら attaches to an ongoing activity and means "while also doing [the second activity]" — the main clause and the かたわら clause both describe things that continue over time, not a single quick action. It's common in biographies, profiles, and formal writing to praise someone's dual life.
彼は会社員として働くかたわら、小説家としても活躍している。
かれは かいしゃいんとして はたらくかたわら、しょうせつかとしても かつやくしている。
While working as an office employee, he's also active as a novelist.
Main job + かたわら + a parallel career.
やったんは学校に通うかたわら、もちと一緒にラジオ番組を作っている。
やったんは がっこうに かようかたわら、もちと いっしょに らじおばんぐみを つくっている。
While attending school, Yattan also makes a radio show together with Mochi.
Original example: student life + a side project.
彼女は家事のかたわら、地域のボランティア活動に参加している。
かのじょは かじの かたわら、ちいきの ぼらんてぃあかつどうに さんかしている。
Alongside housework, she also takes part in local volunteer activities.
Form: Verb (dictionary form) / Noun + の + かたわら
かたわら follows a plain, non-past verb or a noun marked with の. It never attaches to past tense or negative forms — the point is an ongoing state, not a completed or hypothetical one.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | Vる + かたわら | 勉強するかたわら = while studying |
| Noun | N + の + かたわら | 本業のかたわら = alongside one's main job |
勉強するかたわら、アルバイトもしている。
べんきょうするかたわら、あるばいとも している。
While studying, he's also working a part-time job.
Not the same as 〜ながら
Learners often reach for 〜ながら here, but the two differ in scale. 〜ながら pairs two actions done by the same person at the same literal moment (音楽を聞きながら勉強する, "study while listening to music"). かたわら pairs a long-term role with a long-term pursuit, spans weeks or years, and only appears in formal or written register — you wouldn't use it for a five-minute multitasking scene.
The short version
- 〜かたわら = "while also (doing)" — a second, ongoing activity carried out alongside a main one.
- Attaches to: verb dictionary form, or Noun + の.
- Nuance/register: formal, written; both activities are long-running, not momentary.
- Don't confuse with: 〜ながら, which is for two simultaneous actions in the same moment, in any register.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 〜かたわら to describe two ongoing activities.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
彼は会社員として働く＿＿＿、小説家としても活躍している。
Where 〜かたわら fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜ながら · N5 — 〜ながら describes doing two actions at the same time ('while doing'). Learn the formation from the ます-stem, which action is the main one, and see clear examples.
- Past Tense · N5 — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜かつて — かつて is a formal adverb meaning 'once,' 'formerly,' or 'in the past' — it points to a past state or time and often implies things are different now, unlike ever or a simple past tense.
- 〜きらいがある — 〜きらいがある means 'tends to,' 'has a tendency to' — almost always describing an undesirable habit or pattern of behavior, in a formal, slightly critical register.
- 〜きっての — 〜きっての attaches after a place, group, or era to mean 'the foremost ... in/of [that group]' — always followed by a noun naming the superlative person or thing, like 業界きっての実力者.
- 〜極めて — 極めて (きわめて) is a formal adverb meaning 'extremely' or 'exceedingly' — placed before an adjective or verb to emphasize a very high degree, common in news, reports, and academic writing.
- 〜くらいなら — 〜くらいなら means 'rather than (do something bad), I'd prefer...' — it frames an option as so undesirable that almost any alternative, even a bad one, beats it. Often paired with ましだ or だったら.
- 〜にあって — 〜にあって is a formal, literary expression meaning 'in / at / under (a certain situation),' used to frame a difficult, unusual, or noteworthy circumstance before describing how someone acts within it.