につけwhenever; whether … or …
After 見る, 聞く or 考える, it is "whenever": each time, the same feeling comes back. Said twice, AにつけBにつけ, it is "whether A or B".
whenever
Whenever I look at this old photo, I think back fondly on my student days.
whether … or …
Whether I'm happy or sad, the face of my mother back home comes to mind.
Whenever
見る, 聞く, 考える and the like (dictionary form) + につけ
Also につけて, with no difference in meaning.
Whether … or …
A につけ B につけ
A and B are two nouns, two い-adjectives or two verbs in the dictionary form: 雨につけ風につけ, いいにつけ悪いにつけ.
Set phrases
何かにつけ（て）／何事につけ（ても）
"At every turn" and "in everything".
- Before it
- For "whenever", a handful of verbs for seeing, hearing and thinking: 見る, 聞く, 読む, 考える, 思う.
- After it
- A feeling or a thought that comes by itself: 思い出す, 感じる, 心配になる.
- Where you'll meet it
- Essays, letters, speeches, novels. In conversation people say たびに.
In use
Whenever I hear news of the war, my heart aches.
Whenever I think about the future, I get anxious.
Whenever I see how the children have grown, I'm struck by how fast time goes.
Not a plain "every time"
What follows comes over you; it isn't something you decide to do. For that, and for any other verb, it is たびに.
Not said: 図書館へ
(Every time I go to the library, I check the new-books shelf.)
行くたびに.
何かにつけ and 何事につけ
Both are fixed phrases. 何かにつけ（て） is everyday speech, and anything can follow it, not only a feeling.
The manager finds something to complain about at every turn.
She is careful in everything she does.
AにつけBにつけ: whether A or B
Two opposites, or two things of a kind, and what follows holds for both. Most are set pairs.
For better or worse, children copy their parents.
Come rain or wind, I think of my parents back home.
Close neighbours
たびにN3
The everyday "every time": any verb, and what follows can be something you do.
Whenever I hear this song, I remember my student days.
The ordinary "whether A or B", for any pair you like.
Whether you are going or not, please let me know early.
Check yourself
1Which sentence sounds natural?
Choose an answer to see why.
2What does this mean?
暑いに
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
In print, "for better or worse" often keeps its old-style form, 良きにつけ悪しきにつけ.
For better or worse, the internet has changed our lives a great deal.
More sentences
Whenever I read accounts of disasters, I feel all over again how much being prepared matters.
Whenever I hear this song, the day I first came to Tokyo comes back to me.
At every turn, I remember my late grandmother's words.
In joy and in sorrow, people want someone to share their feelings with.
Whether I read the old letters or look at photos from those days, I can see my grandfather's gentle smile.