Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
To have a tendency to do something, or for something to happen frequently (usually with negative connotations).
🎯 Primary Function
Expressing an undesirable frequency or a characteristic tendency of a person or situation.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb [stem] + がち / がちな / がちだ
Not applicable (usually Nouns or Verb stems only).
Noun + がち / がちな / がちだ
Noun + がちではない / がちではない (rarely used)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in business reports or health consultations to describe recurring issues or patterns.
Informal Situations
Used when complaining about one’s own habits or criticizing someone else’s frequent behavior.
Written Language
Frequent in psychological articles, health blogs, and weather reports.
Spoken Language
Commonly used to express soft criticism or self-reflection.
💡 Common Applications
Health and Physical States
Used to describe someone who frequently falls ill.
Example: 病気がち (sickly)
Habits and Behavior
Used to describe a repetitive negative habit or tendency.
Example: 遅れがち (tending to be late)
Environmental Conditions
Used specifically for weather to indicate a consistent state of cloudiness.
Example: 曇りがち (mostly cloudy)
Frequency
Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe undesirable tendencies.
Difficulty
JLPT N3
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Example Sentences
Example #1
最近、彼は仕事を休みがちだ。
Furigana: さいきん、かれはしごとをやすみがちだ。
Romaji: Saikin, kare wa shigoto o yasumigachi da.
English: Lately, he has been tending to take days off from work.
Example #2
曇りがちの天気が続いています。
Furigana: くもりがちのてんきがつづいています。
Romaji: Kumorigachi no tenki ga tsuzuite imasu.
English: The weather has been consistently cloudy lately.
Example #3
忙しいと、食事を抜きがちです。
Furigana: いそがしいと、しょくじをぬきがちです。
Romaji: Isogashii to, shokuji o nukigachi desu.
English: When I am busy, I tend to skip meals.
Example #4
初心者は間違いがちなポイントです。
Furigana: しょしんしゃはまちがいがちなポイントです。
Romaji: Shoshinsha wa machigaigachi na pointo desu.
English: This is a point where beginners tend to make mistakes.
Example #5
子供の頃は病気がちでした。
Furigana: こどものころはびょうきがちでした。
Romaji: Kodomo no koro wa byōkigachi deshita.
English: I was often sickly when I was a child.
Example #6
休みの日は、つい夜更かししがちだ。
Furigana: やすみのひは、ついよふかししがちだ。
Romaji: Yasumi no hi wa, tsui yofukashi shigachi da.
English: I tend to stay up late without meaning to during the holidays.
Example #7
彼女は遠慮がちな性格です。
Furigana: かのじょはえんりょがちなせいかくです。
Romaji: Kanojo wa enryogachi na seikaku desu.
English: She has a reserved personality and tends to hold back her opinions.
Example #8
現代人は運動不足になりがちだ。
Furigana: げんだいじんはうんどうぶそくになりがちだ。
Romaji: Gendaijin wa undōbusoku ni narigachi da.
English: Modern people tend to lack exercise.
Example #9
一人暮らしをすると、栄養が偏りがちだ。
Furigana: ひとりぐらしをすると、えいようがかたよりがちだ。
Romaji: Hitorigurashi o suru to, eiyō ga katayorigachi da.
English: When I live alone, my diet tends to become unbalanced.
Example #10
健康が一番だということを忘れがちです。
Furigana: けんこうがいちばんだということをわすれがちです。
Romaji: Kenkō ga ichiban da to iu koto o wasuregachi desu.
English: People often forget that health is the most important thing.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Negative Connotation
It emphasizes that the action happens ‘often’ or ‘frequently’ rather than just being ‘easy to do’.
Example: 忘れがち (Wasure-gachi) – Tend to forget.
Weather Exception
While most usages are negative, weather descriptions like ‘cloudy’ are standard neutral uses.
Example: 曇りがち (Kumori-gachi) – Cloudy.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using ‘gachi’ for positive outcomes.
✅ 合格しがちだ (Incorrect) -> 合格しやすい (Better)
‘Gachi’ is almost always used for negative or undesirable things. Winning or passing an exam is positive.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Polite. It provides a way to describe flaws without being overly blunt.
Social Situations: Used when identifying problems or patterns that need addressing.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese usage; common nationwide.
🔍 Subtle Differences
～がち vs ～やすい (yasui)
‘Yasui’ means something is ‘easy to do’ (physical/neutral). ‘Gachi’ means it ‘happens often’ (habitual/negative).
When to use: Use ‘gachi’ for undesirable habits; use ‘yasui’ for physical properties (e.g., this glass breaks easily).
～がち vs ～っぽい (ppoi)
‘Ppoi’ means ‘-ish’ or having the quality of something. ‘Gachi’ is about the frequency of an event.
When to use: Use ‘ppoi’ for appearance (black-ish); use ‘gachi’ for tendencies (sickly).
📝 Conjugation Notes
‘Gachi’ behaves like a Na-adjective. Use ‘gachi na’ before a noun and ‘gachi ni’ before a verb.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘ga’ is soft, and the ‘chi’ is short. No long vowels.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘gachi’ as ‘Got a tendency for… (something bad)’. The sound ‘ga’ can remind you of ‘negative’ or ‘grumble’.
Other Grammar
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