〜とともに — JLPT N3 Grammar

Pattern: 〜とともに

Structure: Noun + とともに / Verb (dictionary form) + とともに

Formality: Formal / Standard

Meaning: "together with ~, along with ~, as ~ also ~" (simultaneous co-occurrence or parallel change)

Explanation

〜とともに has two uses:

Meaning 1 — Accompaniment/simultaneity: Doing something together with another person or thing. 「彼女とともに働く」(work together with her).

Meaning 2 — Parallel development: As one development occurs, another occurs along with it. This is the more important N3 use. Unlike 〜につれて (which emphasizes gradual co-change), 〜とともに emphasizes parallel occurrence — two things happening at the same time, which may or may not be gradual.

〜とともに is more formal than 〜と一緒に (accompaniment) and appears frequently in formal speeches, essays, and news.

Example Sentences

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
経済の発展とともに、生活が豊かになった。	けいざいのはってんとともに、せいかつがゆたかになった。	Keizai no hatten to tomo ni, seikatsu ga yutaka ni natta.	Along with economic development, life became richer.
時代の変化とともに、言葉も変わる。	じだいのへんかとともに、ことばもかわる。	Jidai no henka to tomo ni, kotoba mo kawaru.	Along with changes in the times, language also changes.
成功するとともに、責任も増えた。	せいこうするとともに、せきにんもふえた。	Seikō suru to tomo ni, sekinin mo fueta.	Along with success, responsibility also increased.
春の訪れとともに、桜が咲き始めた。	はるのおとずれとともに、さくらがさきはじめた。	Haru no otozure to tomo ni, sakura ga saki hajimeta.	With the arrival of spring, cherry blossoms began to bloom.
彼女の説明とともに、全員が状況を理解した。	かのじょのせつめいとともに、ぜんいんがじょうきょうをりかいした。	Kanojo no setsumei to tomo ni, zenin ga jōkyō o rikai shita.	Along with her explanation, everyone understood the situation.

Common Mistakes

❌ 友達とともに遊んだ。(too formal for casual activity)
✓ 友達と一緒に遊んだ。— Use 〜と一緒に for casual accompaniment.

Comparison with Similar Patterns

Pattern	Nuance	Formality
〜とともに	Parallel co-occurrence (formal)	Formal
〜と一緒に	Simple accompaniment	Casual/neutral
〜につれて	Gradual proportional co-change	Standard/formal
〜に従って	Proportional (compliance nuance)	Formal