〜につれて: 'As … So Does' (Meaning + Examples)
Two changes moving together
につれて connects a changing situation to a parallel result that develops at the same pace. Both halves must describe change — not a fixed state — which is why the verb before につれて is usually one of gradual shift: 増す, 上がる, 進む, 年をとる.
人間の物欲は、その収入が増すにつれて大きくなる。
にんげんの ぶつよくは、その しゅうにゅうが ますにつれて おおきくなる。
A person's material desires grow as their income increases.
Two gradual changes moving together.
高く登るにつれて、空気は希薄になる。
たかく のぼるにつれて、くうきは きはくになる。
As you climb higher, the air becomes thinner.
やったんは日本語を勉強するにつれて、モチとの会話が増えていった。
やったんは にほんごを べんきょうするにつれて、モチとの かいわが ふえていった。
As Yattan studied more Japanese, his conversations with Mochi increased.
Original example with the mascots.
Attaching につれて
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | Verb-る + につれて | 年をとるにつれて (as one ages) |
| Noun of change | Noun + につれて | 進歩につれて (as progress advances) |
私たちは年をとるにつれて、忘れっぽくなるんだよ。
わたしたちは としを とるにつれて、わすれっぽく なるんだよ。
As we get older, we become more forgetful, you know.
につれて vs にしたがって vs とともに
All three can translate as "as," but they're not interchangeable. にしたがって works the same way as につれて but leans slightly more formal/written and is common with rules or set procedures. とともに just means "along with / at the same time as" — it doesn't require gradual, parallel change, so it also fits sudden simultaneous events, which につれて cannot describe.
The short version
- 〜につれて = "as … , so does …" — two changes progressing together.
- Attaches to: verb dictionary form, or a change-noun, + につれて.
- Nuance/register: describes gradual, ongoing change; not a single trigger event.
- Don't confuse with: とともに (simultaneity, not necessarily gradual) or にしたがって (near-synonym, more formal).
Practice it
Choose につれて for parallel, gradual changes and rule out options describing a single event or contrast.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
人間の物欲はその収入が増す＿＿＿大きくなる。
Where 〜につれて fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜に行く · N5 — 〜に行く/来る/帰る says you go, come, or return somewhere to do something. Learn the ます-stem + に pattern, suru-nouns like 買い物に行く, and how to mark the place.
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜にて — にて is the formal, written equivalent of で, marking location, time, or means (パーティーの席上にて、コミックマーケットにて). It's used in announcements, formal writing, and set classical phrases like 〜にあらず.
- 〜にわたって — 〜にわたって attaches to a range of time, distance, or scope to mean 'throughout' or 'spanning' — 広い地域にわたって (throughout a wide area). It emphasizes that something continued or extended across the entire range, not just a point within it.
- 〜のももっともだ — 〜のももっともだ follows a reason to mean 'it's only natural' or 'no wonder' — 約束を破られたのだから、怒るのももっともだ (given the broken promise, it's only natural to be angry). It expresses reasoned understanding, not just sympathy.
- 〜のもとで — 〜のもとで attaches to a noun to mean 'under', 'with', or 'in the environment/authority of' — 先生のもとで学ぶ (study under a teacher). It frames an influence, guidance, or condition that something happens within.
- 〜抜きで — 〜抜きで attaches to a noun to mean 'leaving out', 'skipping', or 'without' — 冗談抜きで (joking aside, seriously). It signals that something normally present is deliberately omitted from what follows.
- 〜抜く — 抜く as a main verb means 'to pull out/extract' — 栓を抜く (pull out a stopper). Attached to a verb's ます-stem, it becomes a suffix meaning 'do all the way through despite difficulty' — 生き抜く (survive to the end), やり抜く (see it through).