Meaning & Usage
につれて (ni tsurete) describes two things changing in step with each other. When X shifts, Y shifts alongside — proportionally, naturally, in parallel. English equivalents include "as," "along with," and "in proportion to."
Both clauses must describe change — this is the core requirement. You cannot use this pattern when only one side changes, when the result is a fixed state, or when the event is sudden or instantaneous. につれて implies a continuous, gradual process: as time passes, as skills improve, as technology advances, the result shifts in tandem.
Take the sentence: 'As I study Japanese, my interest in Japan deepens.' Both sides shift gradually — perfect for につれて. Compare that to 'As I study Japanese, I understand this sentence,' which falls flat. Understanding a sentence is a fixed state, not a gradual shift.
につれて sits firmly in the formal register. News articles, academic writing, and formal speeches all use it regularly. Casual conversation is different — native speakers usually reach for simpler expressions there. That said, it is not stuffy: business reports and academic presentations welcome it without issue.
Picture two graphs whose lines move in sync. As one value rises, the other rises or falls alongside it — each driving or mirroring the other. That synchronized, proportional movement is what につれて captures.
につれて emphasizes natural, organic change — things that happen as time passes, experience accumulates, or external conditions shift. Deliberate decisions, instructions, and conditional 'if-then' logic all fall outside its scope. The change feels inevitable and gradual, not chosen.
Structure & Formation
につれて attaches to two grammatical forms. The first clause names what is changing; the second clause names what changes in proportion.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | Verb (dict.) + につれて | 増えるにつれて |
| Noun | Noun + につれて | 成長につれて |
The verb must appear in dictionary (plain present) form — not te-form, past form, or masu-form. Only verbs describing ongoing change, progression, or movement fit this pattern. Verbs for one-time actions or static states are not compatible.
The result clause needs an expression of change: 〜になる (to become), 〜てくる (change moving toward now), 〜ていく (change continuing into the future), or a comparative structure. A bare statement of fact, without any change expression, will sound unnatural.
- 動詞（辞書形）＋につれて＋変化の結果
- 名詞＋につれて＋変化の結果
Example Sentences
Natural and Seasonal Change
春になるにつれて、気温が上がってきた。
Haru ni naru ni tsurete, kion ga agatte kita.
As spring arrives, the temperature has been rising.
夜が更けるにつれて、気温が下がっていった。
Yoru ga fukeru ni tsurete, kion ga sagatte itta.
As the night grew late, the temperature continued to drop.
山を登るにつれて、景色がより美しくなった。
Yama wo noboru ni tsurete, keshiki ga yori utsukushiku natta.
As I climbed the mountain, the scenery became more and more beautiful.
Personal Growth and Learning
日本語を勉強するにつれて、日本の文化への興味が深まった。
Nihongo wo benkyou suru ni tsurete, Nihon no bunka e no kyoumi ga fukamatta.
As I studied Japanese, my interest in Japanese culture deepened.
練習を重ねるにつれて、だんだん上手になっていった。
Renshuu wo kasaneru ni tsurete, dandan jouzu ni natte itta.
As I accumulated practice, I gradually became more and more skilled.
年をとるにつれて、体力が落ちてくる。
Toshi wo toru ni tsurete, tairyoku ga ochite kuru.
As one ages, physical strength gradually declines.
病気が回復するにつれて、食欲も戻ってきた。
Byouki ga kaifuku suru ni tsurete, shokuyoku mo modotte kita.
As my condition improved, my appetite came back too.
Social and Economic Change
技術が進歩するにつれて、生活がより便利になっている。
Gijutsu ga shinpo suru ni tsurete, seikatsu ga yori benri ni natte iru.
As technology advances, life is becoming more convenient.
経済が発展するにつれて、環境問題が深刻になった。
Keizai ga hatten suru ni tsurete, kankyou mondai ga shinkoku ni natta.
As the economy developed, environmental problems became more serious.
人口が増えるにつれて、食料問題も深刻化している。
Jinkou ga fueru ni tsurete, shokuryou mondai mo shinkokuka shite iru.
As the population increases, food problems are also becoming more serious.
時代の変化につれて、人々の価値観も変わってきた。
Jidai no henka ni tsurete, hitobito no kachikan mo kawatte kita.
Along with the changes of the times, people's values have also shifted.
Noun + につれて
子供の成長につれて、親の悩みも変わる。
Kodomo no seichou ni tsurete, oya no nayami mo kawaru.
As children grow, parents' worries also change.
収入の増加につれて、生活水準も上がった。
Shuunyuu no zouka ni tsurete, seikatsu suijun mo agatta.
Along with the increase in income, the standard of living also rose.
春の訪れにつれて、各地で花が咲き始めた。
Haru no otozure ni tsurete, kakuchi de hana ga saki hajimeta.
With the arrival of spring, flowers began to bloom in various places.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using a Non-Change Expression in the Result Clause
❌ 日本語を勉強するにつれて、この文章がわかる。
✅ 日本語を勉強するにつれて、この文章がわかるようになった。
The result clause after につれて must express change, not a fixed or static state. Saying 'I understand this sentence' is either true or not true — it does not describe a gradual shift. Use expressions like 〜ようになる, 〜てくる, or 〜ていく to signal gradual, proportional change rather than a fixed or sudden outcome.
Mistake 2: Using につれて with Instantaneous or One-Time Events
❌ 駅に着くにつれて、電話が鳴った。
✅ 駅に近づくにつれて、人が増えてきた。
につれて requires both clauses to describe gradual, continuous change. 'Arriving at the station' is an instantaneous one-time event, not a progressive process. Similarly, 'the phone rang' is sudden and discrete. Both the condition and the result must evolve incrementally over time — not happen all at once.
Mistake 3: Confusing につれて with にしたがって for Following Instructions
❌ 説明書につれて、機械を組み立てた。
✅ 説明書にしたがって、機械を組み立てた。
When expressing 'according to instructions' or 'following directions,' use にしたがって, not につれて. につれて is only for proportional change between two naturally evolving phenomena. にしたがって has a broader meaning that covers both 'following rules/instructions' and 'as ~ changes' — but につれて covers only the latter, and always requires gradual, parallel change on both sides.
Mistake 4: Attaching につれて Directly to Adjectives
❌ 便利なにつれて、問題も多くなる。
✅ 便利になるにつれて、問題も多くなる。
につれて cannot attach directly to adjectives — whether i-adjectives or na-adjectives. You must first convert the adjective into a verb phrase using 〜になる (to become ~) before adding につれて. This rule is absolute: the word immediately before につれて must be a verb in dictionary form or a noun. This is one of the most common slip-ups at the N2 level.
Mistake 5: Using につれて When the Relationship Is Conditional, Not Parallel
❌ もっと勉強するにつれて、試験に合格できる。
✅ もっと勉強すれば、試験に合格できる。
につれて expresses two phenomena changing in parallel and naturally, not a conditional 'if you do X, then Y will happen' relationship. Passing an exam is a discrete outcome that depends on a condition being met — it is not a gradual change proportional to study time. For conditional or hypothetical reasoning, use 〜ば, 〜たら, or 〜と instead.
Cultural Notes
Japanese writers and speakers reach for につれて when describing how things evolve naturally over time. News articles use it to frame societal shifts — demographic trends, economic changes, environmental pressures.
This reflects something real in Japanese culture: a tendency to articulate gradual, organic change rather than fixate on sudden disruption. Change that accumulates quietly over time is noticed and named.
Personal essays, travel writing, and memoir draw on this pattern too. Writers use it to trace how their perspectives, skills, or feelings have quietly shifted — stepping back to observe two things moving together. There is a reflective quality to it that suits introspective prose well.
Formal presentations and academic papers use につれて to connect evolving trends with precision. Deploying it correctly — choosing it over にしたがって or に伴って when parallel, natural change is what the sentence describes — marks a clear step toward advanced fluency.
Native speakers often pair につれて with adverbs that color the pace of change: だんだん (gradually), どんどん (more and more, rapidly), and 次第に (little by little). These combinations add texture to the result clause and are worth learning as set pairings.
JLPT Tips
On the JLPT N2 exam, につれて appears primarily in the grammar section (文法 — sentence completion questions) and in reading comprehension passages. In sentence completion questions, you will often need to choose between につれて and similar patterns such as にしたがって, とともに, or に伴って.
The clearest test: both clauses must describe gradual, natural change. If only one side is changing, if someone is following instructions, or if the relationship is conditional rather than parallel, につれて is the wrong choice. Check both sides of the sentence before committing to an answer.
A second common question type asks you to choose the correct form for the word immediately before につれて. Remember: it must be a verb in plain dictionary form or a noun. Te-forms, masu-forms, past forms, and adjectives are all incorrect. Answer choices will often include these wrong forms as distractors, so knowing this rule firmly will save you points.
In reading comprehension, につれて frequently appears in passages about 社会変化 (social change), 経済発展 (economic development), or 個人の成長 (personal growth). When you encounter it in a passage, immediately identify the two things changing in parallel — that relationship is usually central to the main-idea and detail questions.
One last tip: when you spot だんだん, どんどん, or 次第に in the result clause, treat it as a strong signal that につれて belongs in the gap. These adverbs go hand-in-hand with this pattern — they describe exactly the kind of gradual, proportional change it expresses. Spot them fast, and the answer practically selects itself.