連(つ)れ添(そ)う

つれそう

verb (godan)

to be married to; to live together as husband and wife

自動詞 intransitiveliteraryfamily

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	連(つ)れ添(そ)う	連(つ)れ添(そ)わない
Present polite	連(つ)れ添(そ)います	連(つ)れ添(そ)いません
Past	連(つ)れ添(そ)った	連(つ)れ添(そ)わなかった
Past polite	連(つ)れ添(そ)いました	連(つ)れ添(そ)いませんでした
て form	連(つ)れ添(そ)って	連(つ)れ添(そ)わなくて
ている present	連(つ)れ添(そ)っている	連(つ)れ添(そ)っていない
ている polite	連(つ)れ添(そ)っています	連(つ)れ添(そ)っていません
ている past	連(つ)れ添(そ)っていた	連(つ)れ添(そ)っていなかった
ている past polite	連(つ)れ添(そ)っていました	連(つ)れ添(そ)っていませんでした
Conditional ば	連(つ)れ添(そ)えば	連(つ)れ添(そ)わなければ
Conditional たら	連(つ)れ添(そ)ったら	連(つ)れ添(そ)わなかったら
Volitional	連(つ)れ添(そ)おう	—
Volitional polite	連(つ)れ添(そ)いましょう	—
Potential	連(つ)れ添(そ)える	連(つ)れ添(そ)えない
Passive	連(つ)れ添(そ)われる	連(つ)れ添(そ)われない
Causative	連(つ)れ添(そ)わせる	連(つ)れ添(そ)わせない
Imperative	連(つ)れ添(そ)え	連(つ)れ添(そ)うな

1. to be married to; to share one's life with as a spouse

To live together as a married couple over a long period. The partner is marked with と. Slightly literary in tone and most often used of long marriages, as in 長年(ながねん)連(つ)れ添(そ)った妻(つま) (the wife he had been married to for many years).

五十年(ごじゅうねん)連(つ)れ添(そ)った夫婦(ふうふ)だ。

They are a couple who have been married for fifty years.

長年(ながねん)連(つ)れ添(そ)った妻(つま)を亡(な)くした。

He lost the wife he had been married to for many years.

苦労(くろう)を分(わ)け合(あ)いながら連(つ)れ添(そ)ってきた二人(ふたり)の絆(きずな)は強(つよ)い。

The bond between the two, who have lived together as a couple through hardship, is strong.

連(つ)れる (to take along) + 添(そ)う (to be at someone's side). Intransitive: the spouse takes と, never を.

Common collocations

長年(ながねん)連(つ)れ添(そ)う: to be married for many years
連(つ)れ添(そ)った妻(つま)／夫(おっと): the wife/husband one has shared life with
添(そ)い遂(と)げる: to stay together to the end (a near-synonym often used in the same contexts)

Usage

Mostly appears in the past or perfect form (連(つ)れ添(そ)った、連(つ)れ添(そ)ってきた) when looking back on a marriage. It is rarely used of a new couple, and never of dating.

Similar words

連(つ)れ合(あ)う: to go along together — older and broader; its derived noun 連(つ)れ合(あ)い (spouse) is the common word
結婚(けっこん)する: to marry — the everyday verb for the event of marrying, not the years that follow

Related Words

Related: 連(つ)れ合(あ)う (older, broader synonym)

See also: 連(つ)れ合(あ)い (spouse)

Compare: 結婚(けっこん) (to marry)

Compare: 添い遂げる (to stay married for life)

general

Added 2026.8.8 21:24 · Revised 2026.10.1 17:08

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