At a glance
がてら means "while doing A, also do B". One outing serves two purposes, so the main clause usually has a movement verb such as 行く, 来る, 寄る or 歩く.
Verb ます-stem + がてら、[movement verb]
Noun (action) + がてら、[movement verb]
散歩がてら、郵便局に行ってきます。 I'll go to the post office and take a walk at the same time.
How to form it
| Attaches to | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (ます-stem) | 送る → 送り | 送りがてら |
| Verb (ます-stem) | 遊ぶ → 遊び | 遊びがてら |
| Action noun (する-verb noun) | 散歩する → 散歩 | 散歩がてら |
| Action noun | 花見 | 花見がてら |
With する-verbs, がてら usually attaches directly to the noun: 散歩がてら, 買い物がてら. It does not attach to い-adjectives or な-adjectives.