添(そ)う

そう
verb (godan)
to accompany; to marry
自動詞 intransitiveaction
See also: 沿(そ)う (to follow along (沿))
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present添(そ)う添(そ)わない
Present polite添(そ)います添(そ)いません
Past添(そ)った添(そ)わなかった
Past polite添(そ)いました添(そ)いませんでした
て form添(そ)って添(そ)わなくて
ている present添(そ)っている添(そ)っていない
ている polite添(そ)っています添(そ)っていません
ている past添(そ)っていた添(そ)っていなかった
ている past polite添(そ)っていました添(そ)っていませんでした
Conditional ば添(そ)えば添(そ)わなければ
Conditional たら添(そ)ったら添(そ)わなかったら
Volitional添(そ)おう—
Volitional polite添(そ)いましょう—
Potential添(そ)える添(そ)えない
Passive添(そ)われる添(そ)われない
Causative添(そ)わせる添(そ)わせない
Imperative添(そ)え添(そ)うな
1. to accompany, to stay close to, to attend
To stay close beside someone in a supportive or caring role. Often implies watching over, assisting, or keeping someone company, especially during illness or difficulty.
病人(びょうにん)に添(そ)う。
To stay by a sick person's side.
母(はは)は入院中(にゅういんちゅう)の父(ちち)にずっと添(そ)っていた。
My mother stayed at the side of my hospitalized father the whole time.
付(つ)き添(そ)いの人(ひと)がいないと不安(ふあん)だ。
I feel uneasy without someone to accompany me.
2. to marry, to be wed
To become husband and wife, to live together as a married couple. A somewhat literary or traditional way to express marriage, often seen in the pattern 連(つ)れ添(そ)う (to live together as spouses).
二人(ふたり)は若(わか)くして添(そ)った。
The two married young.
長年(ながねん)連(つ)れ添(そ)った夫婦(ふうふ)だ。
They are a couple who have been together for many years.
好(す)きな人(ひと)と添(そ)い遂(と)げたいと願(ねが)っている。
I wish to spend my whole life with the person I love.

Usage

Not to be confused with the homophone 沿(そ)う (to run along, to follow a path/policy). 添(そ)う emphasizes personal closeness and caring support, while 沿(そ)う means to follow alongside something like a road or guideline.

The marriage sense is somewhat literary and traditional. In modern Japanese, 結婚(けっこん)する is more common for "to marry," but 添(そ)う and its compounds remain widely understood.

Compounds

  • 付(つ)き添(そ)う: to accompany, to attend (someone)
  • 付(つ)き添(そ)い: attendant, escort, chaperone
  • 連(つ)れ添(そ)う: to live together as a married couple
  • 添(そ)い遂(と)げる: to remain married until the end, to grow old together
  • 寄(よ)り添(そ)う: to snuggle up to, to stay close (emotionally or physically)

Related Words

Related: 添(そ)える (to add, to attach)
general
Added 2026.2.24 19:30 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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