He sat down beside me.
Small flowers were blooming by the side of the road.
while doing; in addition to; alongside
Indicates a secondary activity done concurrently with a main occupation or state. Usually written in kana. Follows a noun or verb dictionary form + かたわら.
He writes novels while working at a company.
She continued studying for a qualification while raising children.
He stood beside his mother and took a photo.
Alongside his job, he writes novels.
横 focuses on lateral/side position, whereas 傍ら emphasizes being right next to someone with a sense of accompaniment.
傍ら is a more literary word for 'beside' or 'at one's side', while すぐそば is the everyday, spoken equivalent.
beside; nearby; at one's side
Irregular okurigana variant; rarely used.
Uncommon kanji variant.
Uncommon kanji variant; easily confused with 側 (そば).
Uncommon kanji variant.