に伴って — Hand in Hand With Change
Expresses that as one change occurs, another change occurs alongside it: 'along with / accompanying'. It is used when two developments happen together, often in a cause-and-effect or parallel-progression relationship. It is formal and typically describes large-scale or gradual changes.
Structure
[Noun / Verb dictionary form] + に伴って／に伴い（に伴う + Noun）
Examples
人口の増加に伴って、住宅問題が深刻になった。
Jinkou no zouka ni tomonatte, juutaku mondai ga shinkoku ni natta.
Along with the population increase, the housing problem grew serious.
に伴って links the population rise to the accompanying housing problem
技術の進歩に伴い、生活が便利になった。
Gijutsu no shinpo ni tomonai, seikatsu ga benri ni natta.
As technology advanced, life became more convenient.
に伴い is the formal continuative form used in writing
台風の接近に伴う被害が心配されている。
Taifuu no sekkin ni tomonau higai ga shinpai sarete iru.
The damage accompanying the typhoon's approach is a concern.
に伴う + Noun modifies 被害 (damage that comes with the approach)
• Register: formal/written; common in news and reports. • Both clauses describe changes that progress together. • に伴い is the formal continuative; に伴う is the attributive form before a noun.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones に伴って is tested against.
vs につれて
につれて emphasizes gradual, proportional change ('the more X, the more Y') and cannot take one-time events; に伴って allows both gradual and single accompanying changes.
vs とともに
とともに can mean 'together with (a person)' or 'at the same time as', while に伴って specifically links two changes as accompanying developments.
More cause & effect
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