connective N2 uncommon politewritten
〜と並んで — alongside ~ / on a par with ~
〜と並んで ・ とならんで
Meaning
- alongside ~ / on a par with ~ / ranking with ~ — places one thing on the same level or in the same group as another
From 並ぶ ('to line up'), と並んで sets X side by side with something else — usually to say it ranks *on a par with* it. 富士山と並んで、日本を代表する名峰だ ('alongside Mt. Fuji, it's one of Japan's iconic peaks'). The two are treated as equals in standing or importance. (It keeps its literal 'standing next to' meaning too, but the grammar point is the figurative 'on a par with'.)
Key sentence
この作品は、彼の代表作と並んで高く評価されている。
This work is highly regarded, on a par with his masterpiece.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + と並んで | N + と並んで | 京都と並んで / 英語と並んで |
When: Written/formal; ranks one item alongside an established other in status, fame, or importance.
Examples
大阪は東京と並んで、日本の経済を支える都市だ。
Osaka, alongside Tokyo, is a city that underpins Japan's economy.
彼女は実力でトップ選手と並んだ。
Through sheer ability she drew level with the top players.
Easily confused with
とともに とともに = 'together with / along with' (acting jointly, or 'as ~ changes'); と並んで specifically ranks one thing *on the same level as* another — equal standing, not joint action. 〜と同じくらい と同じくらい measures one thing as roughly equal *in degree* to another (背が同じくらい高い); と並んで places it in the same *rank or class* — peers, not just a matched quantity.
Notes
- に並んで also occurs, but the comparative 'on a par with' sense standardly takes と.
See 〜と並んで in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜と並んで the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.