Grammar › Concession & Contrast
〜つつ(も) — “while, even though (doing X, still Y)”
A quiet contradiction: 悪いと知りつつ、食べてしまった — knowing it was bad, I ate it anyway
ます-stem + つつ (often つつも for emphasis) links two things that pull in different directions at once — doing one thing while, in tension with it, also being aware of or doing another. It's more literary than ながら, and specifically carries this contradictory, self-aware nuance.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| ます-stem + つつ(も) | 知りつつ → 知りつつも — even while knowing… |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 体に悪いと知りつつ、たばこをやめられない。 | からだにわるいとしりつつ、たばこをやめられない。 karadaniwaruitoshiritsutsu、tabakowoyamerarenai。 | Even knowing it's bad for me, I can't quit smoking. |
| 忙しいと思いつつ、つい先延ばしにしてしまう。 | いそがしいとおもいつつ、ついさきのばしにしてしまう。 isogashiitoomoitsutsu、tsuisakinobashinishiteshimau。 | Even thinking I'm busy, I end up procrastinating anyway. |
| 感謝しつつも、素直に言えなかった。 | かんしゃしつつも、すなおにいえなかった。 kanshashitsutsumo、sunaoniienakatta。 | Even while feeling grateful, I couldn't say it honestly. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
Unlike ながら (simple simultaneity, “while doing two things at once”), つつ specifically implies the two things are in some tension or contradiction — using it for two neutral, unrelated actions sounds off.