Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘Ippou da’ is used to indicate that a situation is continuously changing or progressing in one specific direction. It translates to ‘more and more,’ ‘continues to,’ or ‘keeps on…’
🎯 Primary Function
To emphasize a continuous, unchanging trend in a particular direction.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Dictionary form) + 一方だ / 一方で
Dictionary form + なる + 一方だ
Dictionary form + になる + 一方だ
Not typically used with negative verbs, as the dictionary form expresses the direction of the trend.
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Very common in business reports, news broadcasting, and academic writing to describe trends.
Informal Situations
Used when complaining or expressing concern about a situation that won’t stop changing (e.g., getting older, prices rising).
Written Language
Commonly seen in newspapers and journals to describe statistical or social changes.
Spoken Language
Used in both formal presentations and serious personal conversations.
💡 Common Applications
Economic Trends
Used to describe steady increases or decreases in market values, prices, or economic conditions.
Example: 景気は悪くなる一方だ。 (The economy continues to worsen.)
Health and Physical Condition
Commonly used to describe the steady decline or improvement of health symptoms.
Example: 風邪はひどくなる一方だ。 (The cold is only getting worse.)
Environmental/Social Issues
Used to highlight persistent social or environmental trends.
Example: ゴミは増える一方だ。 (The amount of trash keeps on increasing.)
Frequency
High in news reports, articles, and formal observations.
Difficulty
JLPT N3 (Advanced Intermediate)
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Example Sentences
Example #1
最近、物価は上がる一方だ。
Furigana: さいきん、ぶっかはあがるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Saikin, bukka wa agaru ippou da.
English: The price of goods just keeps rising lately.
Example #2
患者の容体は悪くなる一方だ。
Furigana: かんじゃのようだいはわるくなるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Kanja no youdai wa waruku naru ippou da.
English: The patient’s condition continues to worsen.
Example #3
工場が閉鎖してから、町の人口は減る一方だ。
Furigana: こうじょうがへいさしてから、まちのじんこうはへるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Koujou ga heisa shite kara, machi no jinkou wa heru ippou da.
English: Since the factory closed, the town’s population has been decreasing steadily.
Example #4
締め切りが近づくにつれて、プレッシャーは強まる一方だ。
Furigana: しめきりがちかづくにつれて、プレッシャーはつよまるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Shimekiri ga chikazuku ni tsurete, puresshaa wa tsuyomaru ippou da.
English: As the deadline approaches, the pressure just keeps increasing.
Example #5
世界中で環境汚染が進む一方だ。
Furigana: せかいじゅうでかんきょうおせんがすすむいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Sekaijuu de kankyou osen ga susumu ippou da.
English: Environmental pollution is getting worse and worse worldwide.
Example #6
新しい仕事を始めてから、ストレスがたまる一方だ。
Furigana: あたらしいしごとをはじめてから、ストレスがたまるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Atarashii shigoto o hajimete kara, sutoresu ga tamaru ippou da.
English: Since I started my new job, my stress level has been rising.
Example #7
国際情勢は複雑になる一方だ。
Furigana: こくさいせいせいはふくざつになるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Kokusai jousei wa fukuzatsu ni naru ippou da.
English: The international situation is becoming more and more complicated.
Example #8
最近、体力がおとろえる一方だ。
Furigana: さいきん、たいりょくがおとろえるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Saikin, tairyoku ga otoroeru ippou da.
English: Lately, my physical strength has been declining steadily.
Example #9
インターネットは便利になる一方だ。
Furigana: インターネットはべんりになるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Intaanetto wa benri ni naru ippou da.
English: The internet is becoming increasingly convenient.
Example #10
海外で日本語を学ぶ人は増える一方だ。
Furigana: かいがいでにほんごをまなぶひとはふえるいっぽうだ。
Romaji: Kaigai de nihongo o manabu hito wa fueru ippou da.
English: The number of people studying Japanese abroad is continuing to grow.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Nuance of the trend
While most often used for negative trends (worsening), it can be used for positive trends if the change is steady and continuous.
Example: 成績は上がる一方だ。 (Grades keep going up.)
Must use verbs of change
Static verbs like ‘iru’ or ‘aru’ cannot be used. You must use a verb that implies movement or change.
Example: 便利になる一方だ。 (It’s becoming more and more convenient.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 太っている一方だ。
✅ 太る一方だ。 (I keep getting fatter.)
‘Ippou da’ requires a verb of change. ‘Futoru’ is a verb of change, whereas ‘Futotte iru’ is a state.
❌ 物価は上がった一方だ。
✅ 物価は上がる一方だ。 (Prices keep rising.)
‘Ippou da’ is for continuous trends, not for completed actions.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral/Formal. It can be made polite by changing ‘da’ to ‘desu’.
Social Situations: Often carries a negative nuance (complaining about a trend), though it is grammatically possible to use for positive trends like ‘improving’.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese used nationwide.
🔍 Subtle Differences
一方だ vs. ばかりだ (bakari da)
‘Bakari da’ often has a stronger negative nuance of ‘doing nothing but X’, whereas ‘ippou da’ is more objective about a trend.
When to use: Use ‘ippou da’ for objective trends or reports. Use ‘bakari da’ for more emotional or critical expressions of a negative trend.
一方だ vs. つつある (tsutsu aru)
‘Tsutsu aru’ is more formal and describes a process that is currently in progress, whereas ‘ippou da’ emphasizes the continuous direction of change.
When to use: Use ‘tsutsu aru’ in very formal writing or news. Use ‘ippou da’ for more general descriptions of trends.
📝 Conjugation Notes
Only the dictionary form (u-form) of verbs is used before ‘ippou da’. These verbs must represent a change (e.g., 増える, 減る, 悪化する, なる).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘da’ at the end is often pronounced with a falling intonation to emphasize the certainty of the trend.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘ippou’ (一方) as ‘one direction’. The grammar literally means ‘it is (going in) one direction’, meaning the trend doesn’t stop or fluctuate.
Other Grammar
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