Let’s ながら
“Straightforwardness and simplicity are in keeping with goodness.” – Seneca
You just learned the grammar ながら, which has to do with doing one thing at the same time as another thing. Let’s review that grammar point while practicing ましょう and ましょうか.
First off, do you remember ながら?
a すし を たべながら はなします。
While eating sushi we will talk.
Now, where would you put the ましょう? The ながら verb is out of the question, which means the only other option is the second verb… the verb that is the primary action (remember how the ながら verb is always the secondary action? The not as important action?).
a すし を たべながら はなしましょう。
While eating sushi let’s talk / Let’s talk while eating sushi.
ましょう and ながら go together pretty nicely, actually. When you’re suggesting you do something at the same time as something else, you’re often going to use “let’s” to do it.
Take a look at the following examples – make sure you can say and read all of them (and understand them) before moving on.
a あるきながら たべましょう。
Let’s eat while walking / While walking let’s eat.
a おんがく を ききながら ねましょうか。
Shall we sleep while listening to music? / While listening to music shall we sleep?
a えいが を みながら おかし を たべましょう。
While watching the movie let’s eat candy / Let’s eat candy while we watch the movie.
a けんか しながら がんばりましょう。
While we fight let’s persevere / Let’s persevere while we fight.
It’s really just the same as what you learned in the ながら chapter, except now you’re suggesting (we) do something rather than just doing it. See how much a little thing like ましょう can add to your Japanese? It isn’t even that difficult to learn!