〜つつも (~tsutsu mo) — while (knowing / thinking) ~, one still does otherwise
The mind says one thing, the hands do another — the ながらも of 'even though I know'.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
「体に悪いと知りつつ、毎晩カップラーメンを食べている」— knowing full well it is bad for me, I eat cup noodles every night.
Meaning
- 「〜つつ(も)」= the mind holds one thing (I know, I think, I say), but the behaviour goes the other way.
- A small regret hides in the speaker — 'I should not have, and yet…' — so what follows is usually 「つい〜てしまう」or「まだ〜ていない」.
How to attach
- Drop 「ます」from the ます-form: 知る→知りつつ, 思う→思いつつ
- Adding 「も」makes the contrary sense unmistakable: 思いつつも (知りつつ without 「も」works too).
Versus what you know
- N3The meaning matches 「ながらも」, but 「つつ」is stiffer and more written.
- The 「〜つつ」you learned in Lesson 3 (= ながら, 'while doing': 相談しつつ決める) is the same form; here it carries the 'contrary' sense.
Watch out
- Only verbs of the mind and of speech (思う・知る・言う・気にする・疑う) — 「食べつつも」does not give the 'and yet' meaning.
- The person before and after must be the same (I thought it, I failed to do it).
- What follows is never a guess ('probably'), a wish ('I want to') or an instruction ('please') — only what is happening or has happened.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
早く寝なければと思いつつ、つい夜中までスマホを見てしまう。
はやくねなければとおもいつつ、ついよなかまでスマホをみてしまう。
I keep thinking I should sleep early, yet I end up on my phone till midnight.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 思う = to think → drop ます from 思います: 思い → we attach 「つつ」 → then the opposite behavior: つい〜てしまう.
店長に言わなければと気にしつつも、まだ休みの希望を出していない。
てんちょうにいわなければときにしつつも、まだやすみのきぼうをだしていない。
It keeps nagging me that I must tell the manager, yet I still haven't put in my request for days off.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 気にする = to keep it on your mind → drop ます from 気にします: 気にし → 「つつも」 (も makes the contrast clear) → then what I haven't done: まだ出していない.
高いと知りつつ、駅前のコンビニで水を買った。
たかいとしりつつ、えきまえのコンビニでみずをかった。
Knowing it was expensive, I still bought water at the convenience store by the station.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 知る = to know → drop ます from 知ります: 知り → 「つつ」 → then what I did even though I knew: 買った.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「悪いと＿つつも、友達の宿題を写してしまった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Which verb form goes before つつ?
Drop 「ます」from the ます-form + つつ. 知ります → 知りつつ.
Which sentence is wrong?
💡 Hint: Can an instruction to someone follow?
「つつ(も)」cannot be followed by a request, wish or guess like 「〜てください」— only the same person's actual behaviour.
What kind of verb goes before 「〜つつも」?
💡 Hint: Something in the mind.
つつ(も) = 'while the mind thinks so' — so only mind/speech verbs like 思う・知る・言う・気にする.
Your score: /3