ながら

Japanese

Alternative spelling
乍ら

Etymology

From Old Japanese, cited in the Man'yōshū poetry anthology of 759.[1] In turn, analyzable as a compound of な (na, ancient genitive / possessive particle, apophonic form of particle の (no)) +‎ 柄 (kara, “character, quality”).[2][3][4][5]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [na̠ɡa̠ɾa̠]
  • In Tokyo speech, the verb construction can be either always accented, or non-accented if the suffixed verb is non-accented. The accent falls on the な (na) mora.[6]

Particle

ながら • (nagara) 

  1. (attaches to verbs in ren'yōkei) while, during, while doing (verb)
    お茶(ちゃ)を飲(の)みながら話(はな)しましょう。
    O-cha o nomi nagara hanashimashō.
    Let's talk over tea.
    (literally, “Let's talk while drinking tea.”)
    歩(ある)きながら話(はな)しましょうか。
    Aruki nagara hanashimashō ka.
    Shall we walk and talk?
    (literally, “Shall we talk while walking?”)
  2. (attaches to nouns, na-adjectives, verbs in ren'yōkei, adjectives) though, notwithstanding
    残(ざん)念(ねん)ながら ― zannen nagara ― unfortunately (literally, “(it being a) regret notwithstanding”)
    • 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 16, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下 先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:
      私(わたくし)は物(もの)足(た)りない顔(かお)を二(ふた)人(り)に見(み)せながら、物(もの)足(た)りるまで追(つい)窮(きゅう)する勇(ゆう)気(き)をもっていなかったのです。
      Watakushi wa monotarinai kao o futari ni mise nagara, monotariru made tsuikyū suru yūki o motte inakatta no desu.
      Although I showed the two of them that I was unsatisfied, I didn't have the courage to press them until I was satisfied.
  3. both (doing verb)

Usage notes

  • This term is often spelled in kana.

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ “乍がら”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  3. ^ Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
  4. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  5. ^ Kitahara, Yasuo, editor (2002), 明鏡国語辞典 [Meikyō Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN
  6. ^ Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
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