Grammar › Connecting Ideas
つつ — “while doing” (formal ながら)
A more formal/written equivalent of ながら, for two actions happening at once
つつ attaches to the stem of a verb (the pre-ます form) to mean “while doing X,” functioning much like ながら but with a more formal, written tone. It also appears in the set phrase つつある, describing a change in progress: 増えつつある (is gradually increasing).
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb stem + つつ | 話しつつ歩く — walk while talking |
| つつある (change in progress) | 状況は改善しつつある — The situation is gradually improving |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 彼はコーヒーを飲みつつ、新聞を読んでいた。 | かれはこーひーをのみつつ、しんぶんをよんでいた。 karehako-hi-wonomitsutsu、shinbunwoyondeita。 | He was reading the newspaper while drinking coffee. |
| 環境問題への関心は高まりつつあります。 | かんきょうもんだいへのかんしんはたかまりつつあります。 kankyoumondaihenokanshinhatakamaritsutsuarimasu。 | Interest in environmental issues is growing. |
| 悪いと知りつつ、つい食べ過ぎてしまう。 | わるいとしりつつ、ついたべすぎてしまう。 waruitoshiritsutsu、tsuitabesugiteshimau。 | Knowing it's bad for me, I still end up overeating. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
In casual conversation, ながら is far more common than つつ — save つつ for writing, news, and formal speech, where everyday ながら can feel too casual.