English–Japanese
“while” in Japanese
Japanese
Pronunciation
Romajinagara
Example
ご飯を食べながらテレビを見ます。go han o ta be na ga ra te re bi o mi ma su
I watch TV while eating.
How to say “while” in Japanese
“While” in Japanese is ながら (nagara).
It marks one action or state as continuing while another occurs, and extends this link to a contrast meaning "although".
Example sentences with ながら
歩きながら話します。aru ki na ga ra hana shi ma su
I talk while walking.
母は料理をしながら歌います。haha wa ryō ri o shi na ga ra uta i ma su
My mother sings while cooking.
Tips for using ながら
- The pattern ながらも (nagaramo) marks a contrast after an acknowledged condition, while ながら (nagara) alone often marks simultaneous actions.