Japanese Grammar: たり～たり (tari ~ tari) – Listing Actions and States

By /
Japanese Grammar: たり～たり (tari ~ tari) – Listing Actions and States
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

The ‘~tari ~tari’ pattern is used to list two or more representative actions or states out of many possibilities. It translates to ‘doing things like A and B.’

🎯 Primary Function

To provide examples of actions or states from a larger set, suggesting that other similar things might also occur.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Ta-form) + り (e.g., 食べたり、飲んだり)
Adjective (Past form) + り (e.g., 寒かったり)
Adjective / Noun + だったり (e.g., 暇だったり / 雨だったり)
Verb (Nai-form) + なかったり (e.g., 食べなかったり) / Adj (Negative-past) + なかったり (e.g., 良くなかったり)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in formal settings when listing typical activities, though polite endings like ‘~tari shimasu’ are required.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in casual speech; often ends in ‘~tari suru’ or just ‘~tari’ in very casual contexts.

✍️ Written Language

Found in diaries, essays, and reports to describe various aspects of a situation or activity.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Highly used to describe one’s weekend, hobbies, or alternating feelings.

💡 Common Applications

Listing Actions
Giving examples of activities performed without implying they are the only activities or that they happen in a strict order.
Example: 本を読んだり、テレビを見たりします。
Listing States or Qualities
Describing fluctuating conditions, such as weather being sometimes cold and sometimes hot.
Example: 寒かったり、暑かったりします。
Expressing Repeating/Alternating States
Used for actions that repeat or alternate, like rain starting and stopping repeatedly.
Example: 降ったり止んだり。
📊
Frequency
Very frequent in daily conversation and descriptive writing.
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4/N5 level (Intermediate Beginner)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N5 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N5 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
日曜日は、本を読んだり、テレビを見たりします。
Furigana: にちようびは、ほんをよんだり、てれびをみたりします。
Romaji: Nichiyōbi wa, hon o yondari, terebi o mitari shimasu.
English: On Sundays, I do things like reading books and watching TV.
Example #2
昨日は買い物をしたり、友達に会ったりしました。
Furigana: きのうはかいものをしたり、ともだちにあったりしました。
Romaji: Kinō wa kaimono o shitari, tomodachi ni attari shimashita.
English: Yesterday, I did things like shopping and meeting friends.
Example #3
冬休みはスキーをしたり、温泉に入ったりしたいです。
Furigana: ふゆやすみはすきーをしたり、おんせんにはいったりしたいです。
Romaji: Fuyuyasumi wa sukī o shitari, onsen ni haittari shitai desu.
English: During winter vacation, I want to do things like skiing and going to hot springs.
Example #4
雨が降ったり止んだりしています。
Furigana: あめがふったりやんだりしています。
Romaji: Ame ga futtari yandari shite imasu.
English: It is raining on and off (raining and stopping).
Example #5
その店は、高かったり安かったりします。
Furigana: そのみせは、たかかったりやすかったりします。
Romaji: Sono mise wa, takakattari yasukattari shimasu.
English: The prices at that shop are sometimes high and sometimes low.
Example #6
休みの日は、海に行ったり山に行ったりします。
Furigana: やすみのひは、うみにいったりやまにいったりします。
Romaji: Yasumi no hi wa, umi ni ittari yama ni ittari shimasu.
English: On my days off, I go to places like the sea or the mountains.
Example #7
映画を見たり、音楽を聴いたりするのが好きです。
Furigana: えいがをみたり、おんがくをきいたりするのがすきです。
Romaji: Eiga o mitari, ongaku o kikitari suru no ga suki desu.
English: I like doing things like watching movies and listening to music.
Example #8
テストの漢字は、簡単だったり難しかったりします。
Furigana: てすとのかんじは、かんたんだったりむずかしかったりします。
Romaji: Tesuto no kanji wa, kantan dattari muzukashikattari shimasu.
English: Sometimes the test is easy, and sometimes it’s difficult.
Example #9
夕べは晩ご飯を食べたりお茶を飲んだりしました。
Furigana: ゆうべはばんごはんをたべたりおちゃをのんだりしました。
Romaji: Yūbe wa bangohan o tabetari ocha o nondari shimashita.
English: Last night, I ate dinner and drank tea, among other things.
Example #10
忙しかったり、暇だったり、毎日は色々です。
Furigana: いそがしかったり、ひまだったり、まいにちはいろいろです。
Romaji: Isogashikattari, hima dattari, mainichi wa iroiro desu.
English: Sometimes I am busy and sometimes I am free; every day is different.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

No Chronological Order
Unlike the ‘~te’ form, the order of verbs in ‘~tari ~tari’ does not necessarily reflect chronological order.
Example: 掃除をしたり洗濯をしたりしました。
Implies ‘And Others’
Using ‘~tari’ implies there are other things you might do, but you are just mentioning representative ones.
Example: 休みの日、寝たりしています。

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 本を読んだり、テレビを見たり。 (Incomplete sentence)
✅ 本を読んだり、テレビを見たりします。 (Must end with ‘suru’)
A sentence using ‘~tari’ must always end with a form of the verb ‘suru’ (to do) to determine the tense and politeness level.
❌ 本を読んだり、テレビを見ます。 (Mixing ‘tari’ with a standard verb form)
✅ 本を読んだりします。 (Using only one ‘tari’ is acceptable)
While usually paired, you can use only one ‘~tari’ to imply ‘doing things like A (and others).’

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: The pattern itself is neutral; the politeness is determined by the final ‘suru’ (shimasu for polite, suru for plain).
Social Situations: Often used when someone asks ‘What did you do?’ to avoid listing every single detail and focus on the main highlights.
Regional Variations: Common across all of Japan with no major regional differences in grammar usage.

🔍 Subtle Differences

~tari ~tari vs. ~te form
‘~te’ implies a sequence or a complete list of connected actions; ‘~tari’ implies a non-sequential, non-exhaustive list.
When to use: Use ‘~te’ for ‘I woke up and then ate.’ Use ‘~tari’ for ‘I spent my morning doing things like eating and reading.’
~tari ~tari vs. ~ya (particle)
‘~ya’ is used specifically for nouns; ‘~tari’ is primarily for verbs and adjectives.
When to use: Use ‘~ya’ for ‘Apples and oranges (among others)’; use ‘~tari’ for ‘Eating and drinking (among others).’

📝 Conjugation Notes

The ‘tari’ form is built directly onto the ‘Ta-form’ (plain past) of verbs and adjectives. For example: Tabeta -> Tabetari; Atta -> Attari; Samukatta -> Samukattari.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure the ‘ri’ is pronounced clearly and not blended too much into the following word. In ‘~tari ~tari suru’, there is a slight rhythmic pause after each ‘ri’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘~tari’ as the ‘Ta-form’ plus ‘ri’. If you can conjugate verbs into the past tense (Ta-form), you just add ‘ri’ to make this pattern. Always remember it needs a ‘suru’ at the end like a caboose on a train!

Other Grammar

Related Posts

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top