目錄
Japanese 「につれて」 and 「に伴って」 can both express the idea of “as…” or “along with…,” but they emphasize different kinds of relationships. 「につれて」 tends to describe natural, gradual, proportional change, while 「に伴って」 tends to describe a consequential change brought about by an event, system, or shift in scale. 「に伴って」 also has a more formal tone.
These two patterns are easy to blur together because both are often translated into Chinese as 「隨著」. For example, 「年を取るにつれて、体力が落ちる」 describes physical strength gradually declining as someone gets older. By contrast, 「制度の変更に伴って、手続きが変わる」 describes a change in procedures resulting from a change in the system. The first feels like two things changing gradually together; the second feels like one major change setting off another.
Why are 「につれて」 and 「に伴って」 easy to confuse?
「につれて」 and 「に伴って」 are both commonly translated into Chinese as 「隨著」, so many learners assume they are interchangeable. In Japanese, however, you first need to look at the relationship between the two events: are they changing naturally in parallel, or is an event, system, or social condition producing a related effect?
| Chinese intuition | Natural Japanese expression | Key nuance |
| As someone gets older | 年を取るにつれて | Natural, gradual change |
| As it gets darker | 暗くなるにつれて | Gradual change |
| As the system changes | 制度の変更に伴って | A major change causing related effects |
| As the population increases | 人口の増加に伴って | A change in social scale producing consequences |
「につれて」 often describes time, degree, or sensations progressing gradually. 「に伴って」 often appears in news reports, announcements, and business documents, where it indicates that one event occurs and another development follows along with it.
Basic attachment patterns for 「につれて」 and 「に伴って」
「につれて」 can follow a verb in the dictionary form or a noun, and what follows usually describes a state that changes progressively along with it. 「に伴って」 most often follows a noun, though it can also follow a verb in the dictionary form. What follows often concerns changes in systems, environments, results, problems, or effects.
| Pattern | Example | Note | Core nuance |
| Dictionary-form verb＋につれて | 成長するにつれて | 成長につれて is also used | Natural, gradual |
| Noun＋につれて | 時代につれて | Changes along with the times | Proportional change |
| Noun＋に伴って | 変更に伴って | A change brings related consequences | Formal, significant change |
| Dictionary-form verb＋に伴って | 増えるに伴って | An increase brings effects | Linked, accompanying |
A useful question to ask is: is this something that “gradually changes along with” something else, or is it “a later effect brought about by an event”? The former usually points to 「につれて」, while the latter usually points to 「に伴って」.
Usage ① of 「につれて」｜Natural, gradual change
The most typical use of 「につれて」 is when one thing changes gradually and another thing changes along with it. The two changes often have a proportional relationship, as with age, darkness, distance, familiarity, or the passage of time.
- Example: 年を取るにつれて、体力が落ちてきました。
Kana: としをとるにつれて、たいりょくがおちてきました。
Translation: As I have gotten older, my physical strength has gradually declined.
Age and physical strength change in a natural, gradual relationship, so 「につれて」 is very natural here. - Example: 駅に近づくにつれて、人が多くなりました。
Kana: えきにちかづくにつれて、ひとがおおくなりました。
Translation: The closer I got to the station, the more people there were.
The change in distance and the increase in people progress together, giving the sentence a “the more…, the more…” nuance. - Example: 話しているうちに、時間がたつにつれて緊張が少し消えました。
Kana: はなしているうちに、じかんがたつにつれてきんちょうがすこしきえました。
Translation: As we kept talking and time passed, my nervousness gradually eased.
The emotion changes gradually rather than as the result of a sudden event, so 「につれて」 is more natural than 「に伴って」.
Usage ② of 「に伴って」｜Consequences linked to a major change
「に伴って」 is often used for relatively formal changes involving systems, society, the economy, organizations, or the scale of an event. Rather than simply describing gradual change, it emphasizes that the occurrence of A leads to a change in B.
- Example: 制度の変更に伴って、申請方法も変わりました。
Kana: せいどのへんこうにともなって、しんせいほうほうもかわりました。
Translation: With the change in the system, the application procedure also changed.
The system change is the main event, and the change in the application procedure is a related result, so 「に伴って」 fits well. - Example: 人口の増加に伴って、交通問題が深刻になりました。
Kana: じんこうのぞうかにともなって、こうつうもんだいがしんこくになりました。
Translation: As the population increased, traffic problems became more serious.
Population growth has led to a social problem. The sentence is relatively formal and carries a sense of linked cause and effect. - Example: イベントの中止に伴って、チケットの払い戻しが始まりました。
Kana: イベントのちゅうしにともなって、チケットのはらいもどしがはじまりました。
Translation: Following the cancellation of the event, ticket refunds began.
The cancellation is a clear event, and refunds are the subsequent response, so 「に伴って」 is used.
Usage ③ of 「につれて」｜Proportional change: “the more…, the more…”
「につれて」 can often be translated as “the more…, the more…”. In this type of sentence, the two changes progress together in the same direction, without the formal tone associated with announcements or institutional changes.
- Example: 暗くなるにつれて、道が見えにくくなりました。
Kana: くらくなるにつれて、みちがみえにくくなりました。
Translation: The darker it became, the harder it was to see the road.
The darkening sky and worsening visibility are naturally linked, so 「につれて」 is the most natural choice. - Example: 練習するにつれて、発音が少し安定してきました。
Kana: れんしゅうするにつれて、はつおんがすこしあんていしてきました。
Translation: As I practiced more, my pronunciation became a little more stable.
The increase in practice and the improvement in pronunciation occur together, and the sentence does not need a particularly formal expression. - Example: 季節が進むにつれて、花の色が変わっていきます。
Kana: きせつがすすむにつれて、はなのいろがかわっていきます。
Translation: As the season progresses, the color of the flowers gradually changes.
This kind of natural change is exactly the type of situation 「につれて」 handles especially well.
What is the difference between 「につれて」「に伴って」 and 「にしたがって」?
All three patterns may be translated into Chinese as 「隨著」, but their tone and typical contexts differ. 「につれて」 leans toward natural, gradual change, 「に伴って」 toward formal, consequential change, and 「にしたがって」 is often used when something proceeds according to a rule, sequence, or changing condition.
| Comparison | につれて | に伴って | にしたがって |
| Core nuance | Natural, gradual, proportional change | A major change producing related consequences | Following rules, procedures, or changes |
| Register | Neutral | Formal, written | Neutral to somewhat formal |
| Common preceding elements | Age, time, distance, degree | Systems, population, events, changes | Instructions, rules, progress, change |
| Nature of following change | Happens gradually | Is driven by the preceding change | Progresses according to the preceding element |
| Formal documents | Possible, but softer | Very common | Common |
▌For natural, gradual change, 「につれて」 is more natural
✅ 年を取るにつれて、考え方が変わりました。
△ 年を取るに伴って、考え方が変わりました。
Getting older and changing one’s way of thinking form a natural, gradual relationship, so 「につれて」 sounds smoother. 「に伴って」 makes the sentence sound more formal.
▌For changes to systems or events, 「に伴って」 is more natural
△ 制度の変更につれて、書類が変わりました。
✅ 制度の変更に伴って、書類が変わりました。
A change in the system is a clearly defined event, and the change in documents is a related consequence, so 「に伴って」 is more natural than 「につれて」.
▌When following a procedure, 「にしたがって」 is clearer
✅ 手順にしたがって、入力してください。
❌ 手順につれて、入力してください。
「手順」 is not something that naturally changes; it is a procedure to follow. Here, 「にしたがって」 means “according to the steps” and is more accurate than 「につれて」.
「につれて」 and 「に伴って」 in Japanese conversation: how are they used in daily life and formal situations?
「につれて」 often appears in observations about everyday changes, such as weather, physical condition, emotions, or scenery changing during a trip. 「に伴って」 is more common in announcements, news reports, and workplace notices, such as fare adjustments, system changes, or event cancellations. Understanding this distinction makes it easier to tell whether a Japanese announcement is describing a “natural change” or a “formal change with related consequences.”
▌Situation ①｜Observing changes in crowd size while traveling
A：駅に近づくにつれて、人が増えてきましたね。
えきにちかづくにつれて、ひとがふえてきましたね。
The closer we get to the station, the more people there are.
B：週末だから、観光客も多いですね。
しゅうまつだから、かんこうきゃくもおおいですね。
It’s the weekend, so there are a lot of tourists too.
📌 Grammar Point: 「近づくにつれて」 indicates that as the distance gets shorter, the number of people visibly increases.
▌Situation ②｜A school announcement about a schedule adjustment
A：授業時間の変更に伴って、教室も変わります。
じゅぎょうじかんのへんこうにともなって、きょうしつもかわります。
With the change in class times, the classrooms will also change.
B：新しい教室はどこですか。
あたらしいきょうしつはどこですか。
Where is the new classroom?
📌 Grammar Point: 「変更に伴って」 has the formal tone of an official announcement and indicates that the change in class time leads to a change in classroom.
▌Situation ③｜Explaining changes in costs during a work meeting
A：材料費の上昇に伴って、価格を見直す必要があります。
ざいりょうひのじょうしょうにともなって、かかくをみなおすひつようがあります。
With the rise in material costs, we need to review our prices.
B：来月の会議で詳しく確認しましょう。
らいげつのかいぎでくわしくかくにんしましょう。
Let’s review the details at next month’s meeting.
📌 Grammar Point: 「上昇に伴って」 expresses a linked change commonly seen in business and formal documents.
Cultural Notes:
- Japanese announcements often use 「に伴って」 to present cause-and-effect relationships and procedures in a formal way. It is commonly seen in timetable changes, event cancellations, and system updates.
- 「につれて」 is closer to everyday observation. When describing crowds increasing during a trip, the weather getting colder, or scenery changing, it sounds more natural than 「に伴って」.
- Japanese news often uses the more written form 「に伴い」. Its meaning is close to 「に伴って」, but it is more concise and has the tone of a news report or official announcement.
How do Japanese 「につれて／に伴って」 compare with Korean 「에 따라／에 따라」?
In Korean, 「에 따라」 often corresponds to the “as…” or “according to…” meanings expressed by Japanese 「につれて」 and 「にしたがって」. For more formal relationships involving accompanying effects, 「에 따라」 or more written expressions such as 「에 수반하여」 are also used.
- Example: 시간이 지남에 따라 긴장이 풀렸어요.
Romanization: si-gan-i ji-nam-e dda-ra gin-jang-i pul-lyeo-sseo-yo.
Translation: As time passed, the tension eased.
This is close to the Japanese 「時間がたつにつれて」, with the focus on natural change brought about by the passage of time. - Example: 제도 변경에 따라 신청 방법이 바뀌었습니다.
Romanization: je-do byeon-gyeong-e dda-ra sin-cheong bang-beob-i ba-kwi-eot-seum-ni-da.
Translation: With the change in the system, the application procedure changed.
This is close to the Japanese 「制度の変更に伴って」 and has the tone of a formal notice or announcement.
◆ Core difference from 「につれて／に伴って」:
The Korean 「에 따라」 has a broader range of uses and may cover both natural change and formal change. Japanese distinguishes these more finely: 「につれて」 tends to describe natural, gradual change, while 「に伴って」 tends to describe consequential change caused by a significant event or development. When translating, you cannot look only at the Chinese word 「隨著」; you need to examine how the two events are related.
The distinction between Japanese 「につれて」 and 「に伴って」 is highly practical. For gradual changes involving age, time, distance, or emotions, start by considering 「につれて」. For changes involving systems, events, population, costs, or policies that lead to further consequences, start by considering 「に伴って」.
FAQs
「につれて」 indicates that as one thing gradually changes, another thing changes along with it. It is often used for natural, gradual changes involving age, time, distance, degree, or emotion.
「に伴って」 indicates that a change, event, or situation brings about a related consequence. It is more formal than 「につれて」 and is often used for topics such as systems, population, events, costs, and policies.
In some sentences they can be close in meaning, but the nuance changes. 「につれて」 leans toward natural, gradual change, while 「に伴って」 leans toward formal, consequential change. The latter is common in announcements and news reports.
「につれて」 tends to describe natural, proportional change, while 「にしたがって」 often means following a rule, procedure, or direction of change. For operating instructions, use 「手順にしたがって」, not 「手順につれて」.
「に伴い」 and 「に伴って」 are close in meaning, and both express accompanying or related change. 「に伴い」 is more written in style and often appears in announcements, news reports, and formal documents.