- JLPT N1
~ながら (as; with; from [idiomatic])
NikoJLPT N1: ～ながら (as; with; from [idiomatic])
If you've been keeping up with our NDLs, you know that ～ながら has a variety of uses.
We've already seen a few of them:
- JLPT N5: ～ながら (while)
- JLPT N2: ～ながら (although)
- JLPT N1: もさることながら
And we're about to see one more...
～ながら is used in a number of idiomatic phrases in which it indicates that the condition or state of something is unchanged or is "just" a certain way.
Sometimes, but not always, we'll see it translated as "as," "with," or "from," as in the following English phrases:
- as in the past
- through tears
- as always
- from birth / born with
In this lesson, we'll see all the above uses of ～ながら：
昔（むかし // in the past; long ago）
涙（なみだ // tears）
いつも（いつも // always）
生まれ（うまれ // birth; being born）
↓ ↓ ↓
昔ながら（むかしながら // as in the past; as it was long ago）
涙ながら（なみだながら // through tears; while shedding tears）
いつもながら（いつもながら // as always）
生まれながら（うまれながら // from birth; born with）
As you can see in the list of phrases above, we are putting a NOUN directly before ながら.
Simple, yeah?
Hold on.
I thought いつも was an adverb.
Uh... yeah... it is. Sometimes. And I think "always" is always an adverb in English.
But いつも can act as a NOUN in addition to acting as an adverb. That's why you can say いつもの.
For example, say that you and I are planning to go to lunch together. You ask where I want to go, and I say:
いつものとこ行こう。
いつも の とこ いこう。
Let's go to the usual place.
🏙 Example City 🏙
当店の味噌は、昔ながらの製法で、時間をかけて丁寧に作られています。
とうてん の みそ は、 むかし ながら の せいほう で、 じかん を かけて ていねい に つくられています。
At our store, we take the time to make each batch of miso by carefully following an old, traditional process.
被害者は、事件が起きた時の様子を涙ながらに話し始めた。
ひがいしゃ は、 じけん が おきた とき の ようす を なみだ ながら に はなし はじめた。
The victim began to speak through tears about what happened at the time of the incident.
いつもながら、彼女の演奏は素晴らしかった。
いつも ながら、 かのじょ の えんそう は すばらしかった。
As always, her performance was fantastic. // Her performance was marvelous, as usual.
彼は生まれながらの遊び人だ。
かれ は うまれ ながら の あそびにん だ。
He’s a natural-born ladies man.
自由と平等は、すべての人が生まれながらにして持っているべき権利である。
じゆう と びょうどう は、 すべて の ひと が うまれ ながら にして もっている べき けんり である。
Freedom and equality are rights that every person deserves to have from birth.
Finished!
Although it's an N1 grammar point, this usage of ～ながら is quite common for certain phrases, so I highly recommend memorizing the ones we've seen in this lesson.
Niko
