Translation guide
The ability or act of doing multiple things at once. In Japanese, this concept is often expressed through specific verbs, compound nouns, or descriptive phrases rather than a single direct equivalent.
Expressing the general idea of handling several tasks at the same time, especially in work or daily life.
A natural, straightforward way to say 'do multiple things at the same time'. Suitable for most contexts.
She is good at doing multiple things at once.
The loanword 'multitask' used as a noun. Common in tech or business contexts, but may sound slightly jargon-like.
This OS supports multitasking.
Literally 'work in parallel'. Often used in professional or technical settings to describe concurrent tasks.
I'm working on multiple projects in parallel.
Emphasizes handling many things at once skillfully. 'こなす' implies managing or digesting tasks efficiently.
He has the ability to handle many things at once.
Describing someone's capacity or skill in multitasking, often in a resume or personal description.
Describing the act of doing a secondary task alongside a primary one, often casually.
The standard pattern for 'doing B while doing A'. Very natural and versatile.
I study while listening to music.
Implies doing something in one's spare moments or as a side task, often with a nuance of not giving full attention.
I check emails while doing other things.
The English word 'multitasking' is often used as a loanword (マルチタスク) in Japanese, but it may not always sound natural in casual conversation. Using descriptive phrases like 同時に複数のことをする is often more idiomatic.
ながら is for personal, simultaneous actions (e.g., eating while watching TV). 並行して is for tasks or projects running in parallel, often in work contexts.
I'm not good at multitasking.
Multitasking reduces efficiency.
I highlighted my ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.