お供

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: お供(おとも) politely refers to accompanying someone or to a companion who goes with that person.
• Basic usage: It is used when offering to accompany someone or describing a person in attendance. Typical patterns are 散歩にお供する and お供として付いて行く.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Use it with する
  • お供する politely says that the speaker will accompany someone and commonly takes the pattern 〜にお供する.
• Difference from 同行
  • 同行(どうこう) neutrally describes going together, while お供 has a polite nuance of attending or following the other person.