23072
I have read in many grammar books that the te-form of a Japanese verb is the
equivalent of "and" in English. However, the problem is that "and" has many
meanings such as how it can mean consecutive action like in "he got shot and
died" or simultaneous action like in "we talked and walked." Most grammar
books I've seen have examples of the te-form being consecutive action like in
sentences such as 葉を磨いて寝た, but I am curious if the te-form can also mean that
both verbs started at the same time. In this case, can 話して歩いた mean the same as
話しながら歩いた where talking and walking occur at the same time?
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2015-03-06T00:23:37.507
23070
2015-03-06T05:43:12.687
7712
question
grammar
Can 話して歩いた be the same as 話しながら歩いた?
Both usages are equally common in the real Japanese-speaking world, if not in
the world of Japanese-as-a-foreign-language.

Which one it means would totally depend on the context.

「[歯]{は}を[磨]{みが}いて[寝]{ね}た」 would naturally mean "(I) brushed (my) teeth and
went to bed." because brushing teeth and sleeping could not take place
simultaneously.

The same goes for 「[映画]{えいが}を[観]{み}て、レストランで[食事]{しょくじ}をして、[家]{いえ}に[帰]{かえ}った。」.
Just cannot do all three or any two of them simultaneously.

「[話]{はな}して[歩]{ある}いた」 is clearly different in that almost everyone talks while
walking. It is more than just possible; It is a human custom.

If you want to express clearly that a conversation took place first and only
after it was finished, you walked, you could say:

「話した[後]{あと}で歩いた。」、「[会話]{かいわ}してから[散歩]{さんぽ}した」, etc.

In the video below of the well-known song, Kyu Sakamoto is **_not_** saying
"Let's look up towards the sky and then take a walk!" He is, instead, saying
"Let's do both simultaneously (so that tears won't fall)."

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAW0Vd9XVA8>
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-06T01:19:08.753
23072
2015-03-06T05:43:12.687
2015-03-06T05:43:12.687
23070
answer