～つつ
while simultaneously, literary
～つつ attaches to the ます-stem of a verb and links it to a second action: 聴きます becomes 聴きつつ, “while listening”. It is the written-register counterpart of ～ながら and is typical of essays, news, and formal speech.
It can be translated as “while doing X” or “even while doing X” (often strengthened to ～つつも). Do not confuse it with ～つつある, a separate pattern meaning “in the process of”.
1. Two simultaneous actions
The verb before つつ describes a background action accompanying the main verb. Both actions are performed by the same subject.
音楽を聴きつつ勉強する。
“I study while listening to music.”
- 音楽（おんがく）= music
- を = object marker
- 聴きつつ（ききつつ）= while listening
- 勉強する（べんきょうする）= to study
2. Concession: “even while doing”
Sometimes the two clauses contradict each other and then ～つつ（も） means “even though”.
体に悪いと知りつつ、たばこを吸ってしまう。
“Even though I know it's bad for my health, I end up smoking.”
- 体（からだ）= body, health
- に = marks what the badness applies to (for)
- 悪い（わるい）= bad
- と = quotation marker (that)
- 知りつつ（しりつつ）= even while knowing
- たばこ = cigarettes
- を = object marker
- 吸ってしまう（すってしまう）= end up smoking (てしまう adds regret)
How to form it
Verb ます-stem + つつ（も）
- 聴く（きく）= to listen → 聴きつつ（ききつつ）= while listening
- 知る（しる）= to know → 知りつつ（しりつつ）= even while knowing
- 思う（おもう）= to think → 思いつつ（おもいつつ）= while thinking
Key idea
～つつ is a literary “while”. When the two clauses cooperate, it reads as simple simultaneity. When they clash, especially with 知る or 思う, it reads as “even though”.
Built on the same stem
Updated .