This shows something is changing slowly. It means it is happening little by little. The change is still going on.
Verb [stem] + つつあるPrimary
This shows something is changing slowly. It means it is happening little by little. The change is still going on.
医療技術は日々進歩しつつある。
Medical technology is advancing day by day.
その国は経済的に回復しつつあったが、新たな危機に見舞われた。
The country was in the process of recovering economically, but it was struck by a new crisis.
失われつつある伝統文化を守るために、多くの人々が活動している。
Many people are active in order to protect traditional culture, which is gradually being lost.
景気は緩やかに回復しつつあるものの、国民の生活はまだ楽になっていない。
Although the economy is gradually recovering, the lives of the citizens have not yet become easier.
忘れつつあった子供の頃の記憶が、この写真を見て蘇ってきた。
Childhood memories that I was gradually forgetting came back to me upon seeing this photograph.
This grammar sounds formal. It is like something you read in the news. You might see it in reports or speeches. For talking with friends, you would use other phrases. These other phrases also mean 'changing over time'.
This is different from "~te iku" and "~ippou da". "~te iku" shows a change moving forward from now. "~ippou da" shows a strong, steady change, often bad. "~tsutsu aru" just means a change is happening slowly right now.
Don't use this when something happens very fast. For example, you cannot say "I am arriving at the station right now."
Often confused with(1)
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