Combined with: 〜と相まって
名詞 + と相まって；A と B が相まって
X と相まって／A と B が相まって = “combined with”: two factors reinforce each other and together produce a stronger effect. Written register.
In short
X と相まって Y: X combines with another factor, the two reinforce each other and together produce a stronger effect, Y. You can also say A と B が相まって. The effect can be positive (success, beauty) or negative (traffic jams, bankruptcies). Written register: the press, reviews, analyses.
- 好天と相まって、祭りは大勢の人でにぎわった。こうてんとあいまって、まつりはおおぜいのひとでにぎわった。Helped by the fine weather, the festival drew huge crowds.
- 彼の才能は、努力と相まって大きく開花した。かれのさいのうは、どりょくとあいまっておおきくかいかした。His talent, combined with hard work, came into full bloom.
- 円安と観光ブームが相まって、外国人客が急増している。えんやすとかんこうブームがあいまって、がいこくじんきゃくがきゅうぞうしている。The weak yen and the tourism boom together are causing a surge in foreign visitors.
The basics
相まって comes from 相待つ: 相 (あい) “mutually” + 待つ “to wait”, hence “to go together, to complement each other”. It describes two elements working together and reinforcing each other: 1 + 1 makes more than 2.
It's a word of analysis: you explain a success, a crisis, an atmosphere by the meeting of two factors.
Helped by the fine weather, the festival was very lively.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 好天と相まって、祭りはにぎわった。こうてんとあいまって、まつりはにぎわった。Helped by the fine weather, the festival was very lively.
- 落ち着いた音楽が、木のぬくもりと相まって、心地よい空間を作り出している。おちついたおんがくが、きのぬくもりとあいまって、ここちよいくうかんをつくりだしている。The gentle music, combined with the warmth of the wood, creates a pleasant space.
How to form it
Two constructions: you name one factor with と相まって (the other is the subject or the context), or both with A と B が相まって.
| Construction | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| X と相まって | 努力と相まって | combined with X |
| A が B と相まって | 才能が努力と相まって | A, combined with B |
| A と B が相まって | 円安と好景気が相まって | A and B together |
- 少子化と都市への人口集中が相まって、地方の過疎化が進んでいる。しょうしかととしへのじんこうしゅうちゅうがあいまって、ちほうのかそかがすすんでいる。Falling birth rates, combined with population concentration in cities, are speeding up rural depopulation.
An amplified effect
The heart of 相まって is synergy: neither factor alone would have produced this effect. So it isn't enough for two things to coexist; they have to work together in the same direction. The effect itself can be happy or unhappy.
- 疲れと緊張が相まって、彼は本番で実力を出せなかった。つかれときんちょうがあいまって、かれはほんばんでじつりょくをだせなかった。Fatigue and nerves together kept him from performing at his best on the day.
と相まって, とともに, に加えて
とともに means “with, along with” with no idea of reinforcement. に加えて (“in addition to”) adds two elements together. と相まって goes further: the two elements interact and amplify the result.
| Form | Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜とともに | simultaneity, accompaniment | 時代とともに変わる |
| 〜に加えて | addition | 雨に加えて風も強い |
| 〜と相まって | synergy, heightened effect | 雨と相まって寒さが厳しい |
- 雨に加えて、風も強くなってきた。あめにくわえて、かぜもつよくなってきた。On top of the rain, the wind has picked up too.
Common mistakes
- Using it for two unrelated facts: 相まって assumes the factors reinforce each other.
- Thinking it's always positive: 不況と円高が相まって… also describes a worsening.
- Forgetting と or が: you say 努力と相まって, or 才能と努力が相まって.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Nishi-Kyūshū Line (Trade and the economy) of the Shinkansen.