Breakdown of tosyokan ni iku tuide ni, teikiken wo kousinsuru tetuduki wo sita.
にni
destination particle
行くiku
to go
をwo
direct object particle
図書館tosyokan
library
するsuru
to do
〜た〜ta
past tense
更新するkousinsuru
to renew
ついで にtuide ni
while (on the way)
定期券teikiken
commuter pass
手続きtetuduki
procedure
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Questions & Answers about tosyokan ni iku tuide ni, teikiken wo kousinsuru tetuduki wo sita.
What nuance does ついでに add here?
ついでに means “while you’re at it / on the occasion of” and makes the second action incidental to the first. The main purpose is 図書館に行く; the side task done opportunistically is 定期券を更新する手続きをした. It implies efficiency—killing two birds with one stone.
Why is it 行くついでに and not 行ったついでに? What would change?
Nonpast V-る + ついでに (e.g., 行くついでに) is used for plans or general habits: “since I’m going (or whenever I go) …”. Past V-た + ついでに (e.g., 行ったついでに) reports a specific completed trip: “when I went, I (also) …”. Both are correct; choose based on plan/habit vs. one specific past occasion.
Can I use へ instead of に after 図書館?
With motion verbs, both 図書館に行く and 図書館へ行く are acceptable. に is more common and neutral for destinations; へ slightly emphasizes direction and can sound a bit formal/literary. With ついでに, either works, but everyday speech favors に.
Why are there two を in 定期券を更新する手続きをした? Is that allowed?
Yes. The inner を belongs to the relative clause 定期券を更新する (where 定期券 is the object of 更新する). That whole clause modifies 手続き, which then takes the outer を as the object of した. Multiple を are fine when they attach to different verbs in nested clauses.
Why say 更新する手続き instead of just 定期券を更新した?
定期券を更新した means you actually renewed it. 定期券を更新する手続きをした highlights doing the paperwork/process; it doesn’t promise the renewal completed on the spot. A very natural alternative is the compound-noun style: 定期券の更新手続きをした.
Does ついでに mean literally “on the physical way,” or just “since I was going anyway”?
It’s broader than the literal route. ついでに means you took the opportunity created by the first action during the same outing/timeframe. The side action might happen before reaching the library, after, or during, as long as it’s part of that trip.
How would I make this sentence polite? Can I say 行きますついでに?
Use polite form only in the main clause: 図書館に行くついでに、定期券の更新手続きをしました。 Do not say 行きますついでに—the clause before ついでに stays in the plain form. This mix (plain in the subordinate clause, polite in the main clause) is normal.
What can come before ついでに?
- Noun + の: 買い物のついでに (while out shopping)
- Verb plain nonpast: 行くついでに (since I’m going)
- Verb plain past: 行ったついでに (when I went) Avoid V-ます + ついでに and V-て + ついでに as a single grammar pattern (though you can say “V-て、ついでに …” as two clauses).
How is ついでに different from 途中で?
途中で = “on the way (physically), in the middle of going,” focusing on location/time: 図書館に行く途中で雨が降った. ついでに = “while you’re at it,” focusing on piggybacking an extra task: 図書館に行くついでに、駅で切符を買った. They can overlap, but ついでに adds the “incidental extra” nuance.
Can I swap the order, like 定期券の更新手続きをするついでに、図書館に行った?
You can, but the meaning flips. That version makes renewing the pass the main purpose and the library visit the incidental add-on. ついでに marks what follows it as the side action.
Who is the subject here? Why is it omitted?
Japanese drops understood subjects. Here it’s implicitly “I.” You could add 私は for clarity or contrast, but it isn’t needed.
How do I read the whole sentence?
としょかん に いく ついで に、 ていきけん を こうしん する てつづき を した。
Romaji: Toshokan ni iku tsuide ni, teikiken o koshin suru tetsuzuki o shita.