Posted inN3 Grammar

Mastering 「ごとに」: Learn How to Say “Every” or “Each” in Japanese (JLPT N3 Grammar)

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

「ごとに」 indicates that something happens or applies to every instance or every unit of a noun or counter.

🎯 Primary Function

To express frequency (“every hour,” “every year”) or distribution (“each person,” “on each page”). It shows that an action or state occurs repeatedly for each item or interval.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun + ごとに Counter + ごとに

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Commonly used in formal announcements, instructions, or reports.

😊 Informal Situations

Used in everyday conversation, though slightly more formal than repeating a noun (e.g., 人、人).

✍️ Written Language

Very common in written materials like manuals, schedules, contracts, and news articles.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in spoken Japanese to indicate regular occurrences or distribution.

💡 Common Applications

Indicating time frequency
Used with time-related nouns or counters to show that something happens at regular intervals.
Example: 1時間ごとに休憩を取りましょう。 (Let’s take a break every hour.)
Indicating distribution among items
Used with countable nouns or counters to show that something applies to or is done for each individual item or person.
Example: 参加者一人ごとに資料が配られた。 (Materials were distributed to each participant.)
Indicating repetition of an event
Can be used with events or situations to mean “every time” or “whenever it happens.”
Example: 事あるごとに彼に相談する。 (I consult with him whenever something happens.)
📊
Frequency
Very common and useful, especially in N3 level and above contexts.
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3)
Example Sentences
このバスは15分ごとに来ます。
This bus comes every 15 minutes.
会議では、議題ごとに意見交換が行われた。
In the meeting, opinions were exchanged for each agenda item.
彼は会う人ごとに、同じ話をする。
He tells the same story to every person he meets.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Cannot always replace simple repetition
While sometimes similar, repeating a noun (e.g., 人、人) can feel more emphatic or slightly different from 「人ごとに」.
Example: 子供たちが一人一人プレゼントをもらった。 (Each child received a present individually. – Emphasizes “one by one”) vs. 子供たち一人ごとにプレゼントが配られた。 (Presents were distributed to each child. – Focuses on the distribution process for every child.)
Often used with specific counters or time nouns
Most frequently seen with counters like 一つ、一人、一回, or time words like 時間、日、週、月、年.
Example: 100円ごとにポイントがたまります。 (Points accumulate for every 100 yen.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using it redundantly with words like 毎日 or 毎週
✅ Use the simpler form (毎日, 毎週, etc.) instead.
毎日 means “every day,” so 毎日ごとに is redundant and unnatural. Similarly for 毎週, 毎年, etc.
❌ Incorrectly attaching it to verbs or adjectives directly
✅ Attach it to a noun or a counter.
「読むごとに」 is incorrect. You need a noun like 「読むたびに」 or rephrase to use a noun like 「ページごとに」.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral; its politeness depends on the overall sentence structure.
Social Situations: Used in various social situations, from casual planning to formal announcements.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations in usage.

🔍 Subtle Differences

ごとに vs. たびに
ごとに focuses on “every single unit/instance” and is often used for regular patterns or distribution. たびに focuses on “every single time a specific event happens” and emphasizes the action/event itself.
When to use: Use ごとに for regular intervals (time, quantity) or systematic distribution. Use たびに for repeating events or actions.
ごとに vs. おきに
ごとに means “every single unit/interval”. おきに means “at intervals of” or “every other/third/etc. unit/interval”.
When to use: Use ごとに for consecutive units. Use おきに for spaced-out units.
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

Attaches directly to nouns or counters. No verb/adjective conjugation is involved with 「ごとに」 itself.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced as ご・と・に (go-to-ni). The ご and と are pronounced clearly, and に is a short particle.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of 「ごと」 sounding a bit like “got it”, as in “got every one of them” or “got it on the schedule every time”. Connect 「に」 as the particle indicating the point or timing. Alternatively, associate ごと with the concept of a “group” or “category” (事), applying to each item in that category.

Practice Exercises
次の文の（　　）に入れるのに最も適切なものを選びなさい。 電車の運行状況は10分（　　）更新されます。
おきに
たびに
ごとに
ばかりに
次の文の（　　）に入れるのに最も適切なものを選びなさい。 この本はページ（　　）にイラストが入っています。
おきに
たびに
ごとに
ように
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