ながらも (nagara mo)
~ながらも — although ~
Pattern
-
Vます形(ます抜き)+ながらもVerb stem + ながらも -
Aい/Aな語幹/N+ながらもい-adj / な-adj stem / noun + ながらも
Meaning
狭いながらも楽しい我が家 means a home that is small but happy. 知りながらも means doing it though one knows, an unexpected behavior. ながら alone can express contrast too; adding も makes it a little stronger and bookish.
Connection and subject
Verbs use the stem (知り, 思い); い-adjectives use the plain form (狭い, 小さい). The subject is the same in both parts. This is different from the simultaneous-action ながら (歩きながら話す).
Examples
-
狭(せま)いながらも、楽(たの)しい我(わ)が家(や)です。
Semai nagara mo, tanoshii wagaya desu.
Though small, it's our happy home.
-
悪(わる)いと知(し)りながらも、うそをついてしまった。
Warui to shiri nagara mo, uso o tsuite shimatta.
Even while knowing it was wrong, I ended up telling a lie.
-
小(ちい)さいながらも、庭(にわ)のある家(いえ)に住(す)みたい。
Chiisai nagara mo, niwa no aru ie ni sumitai.
Though small, I want to live in a house with a garden.
Common mistakes
- Do not confuse it with the simultaneous ながら. This one is contrastive.
- Do not use it when the subjects of the two parts differ.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ~ばよかった — I should have ~, if only I had ~
- ばかりで ~ばかりで — only ~ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ~ばかりでなく — not only ~ but also ~
- だけでなく ~だけでなく — not only ~ but also ~
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ~ふりをする — pretending to ~
- 一方(いっぽう)だ ~一方だ — keeps ~ing in one direction
- 一体(いったい) 一体 — what on earth ~ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ~じゃない — isn't it ~! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何(なに)か ~か何か — ~ or something
- 代(か)わりに ~代わりに — instead of ~, in return for ~
- 結局(けっきょく) 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ~きり — only ~; ever since ~
- っけ ~っけ — was it ~? (recalling)
- ことになっている ~ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ~
- ことは~が ~ことは~が — it is true that ~, but ~
- くせに ~くせに — even though ~ (with reproach)
- も~ば~も A も ~ば B も ~ — both A and B
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