How to say “I grew up thinking about X”?

Question

The context is simple, in a speech, I am talking about how I grew up with Japan on my mind.

I am familiar with について and と思います, yet i am not entirely sure about the usage here. In English, I'd say the following:

I grew up

I am thinking about Japan

The Japanese translation of the two would be:

私は育ちました

私は日本のことを思っています

Correct? Now what grammar is used to connect the two?

Could you maybe give a complete sentence meaning "I grew up thinking about X" using について and/or と思います? — Earthliŋ♦, Mar 12 '16 at 10:29
@Earthliŋ I think he meant that he is aware of those two expressions but he isn't sure about using them in a sentence. — strawberry jam, Mar 12 '16 at 10:31
@strawberryjam Oh, I thought she meant that she can use those two expressions, but is not sure they are fit for this particular context... — Earthliŋ♦, Mar 12 '16 at 10:34
@Earthliŋ strawberryjam is correct here. I am aware of the two expressions but do not know how to use them in this situation, if these are the correct ones to use at all — kijo, Mar 12 '16 at 10:35
@AmaniKilumanga I have edited my description to what I think is clearer now. I do know how to say the two sentences by their own, yet not when put together in a single sentence. — kijo, Mar 12 '16 at 11:24

Yuuichi Tam · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-12 12:04:12Z

7

If you connect the two sentence like 私は育ちました and 私は日本のことを思っています, you can say 私は日本のことを(いつも or 常に)思いながら育ちました.

You can use "～ながら", it means "with" and "while".

answered Mar 12 '16 at 11:51

Yuuichi Tam

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