Posted inN3 Grammar

Master たびに (tabi ni): Expressing “Every Time” in Japanese (JLPT N3)

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Each time; whenever; every time.

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate that a specific event or condition occurs repeatedly whenever another specific event or action takes place. It emphasizes the regular occurrence or association between two events.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (dictionary form) + たびに Noun + の + たびに

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used in slightly more formal writing or speeches to convey regularity.

😊 Informal Situations

Common in everyday speech.

✍️ Written Language

Frequently appears in descriptive writing, articles, and stories.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Widely used in conversations to talk about recurring events.

💡 Common Applications

Describing personal habits or reactions
Used to describe something that happens to the speaker or subject regularly in response to a recurring event.
Example: 彼女の顔を見るたびに、幸せな気持ちになります。(Every time I see her face, I feel happy.)
Describing natural phenomena or general truths
Used to describe recurring events in nature or phenomena that happen consistently.
Example: 雨が降るたびに、気温が下がります。(Every time it rains, the temperature drops.)
Describing system or object behavior
Used to describe how a machine, system, or object behaves consistently under certain conditions.
Example: このボタンを押すたびに、変な音がします。(Every time I push this button, it makes a strange sound.)
📊
Frequency
Very common.
🎚️
Difficulty
Intermediate (N3 level).
Example Sentences
日本へ行くたびに、お土産をたくさん買います。
Whenever I go to Japan, I buy lots of souvenirs.
彼女の顔を見るたびに、幸せな気持ちになります。
Every time I see her face, I feel happy.
この曲を聴くたびに、学生時代を思い出します。
Each time I listen to this song, I remember my student days.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Repeated Action
たびに is used to express that something happens repeatedly whenever a specific event occurs, not just a single instance.
Example: 公園に行くたびに、犬に会います。(Every time I go to the park, I see dogs.) – Repeated action 公園に行った時、犬に会いました。(When I went to the park, I saw a dog.) – Single instance
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Example: undefined

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using it for a single event
✅ Use とき or other appropriate grammar for single occurrences.
たびに strictly implies repetition.
❌ Incorrect verb form
✅ Use the dictionary form of the verb (or sometimes た form). Do not use ます form.
たびに attaches directly to the dictionary form (or た form) of the verb or the noun + の.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. Can be used in both casual and polite contexts depending on the surrounding sentence structure.
Social Situations: Widely used in conversations, presentations, and writing to describe recurring events or correlations.
Regional Variations: None significant.

🔍 Subtle Differences

たびに vs. 時 (toki)
時 indicates “when” something happens, which can be a single event or a repeated one. たびに specifically indicates “every time” or “each time” something happens, emphasizing the regularity and repetition.
When to use: Use 時 for describing a single event’s timing or when repetition is not the primary focus. Use たびに when you want to emphasize that the second action happens *every single time* the first event occurs.
たびに vs. ごとに (goto ni)
Both express repetition (“every X”). ごとに can be used with specific intervals (e.g., 一時間ごとに – every hour) or fixed units. たびに is more commonly linked to the *occurrence* of an event or action, often personal or situational.
When to use: Use ごとに for fixed intervals or units. Use たびに when linking a consequence to the *occurrence* of an event or action, often with a slightly more subjective feel.
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

For verbs, use the dictionary form. The た form is sometimes seen, often implying the completion of the preceding action each time. For nouns, add の before たびに.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

たびに is pronounced [ta.bi ni]. The “bi” is a voiced bilabial stop.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of たび (tabi) as “occasion” or “time”. So, たびに means “on each occasion”. Connect it with the idea of repetition.

Practice Exercises
毎朝、コーヒーを（飲む）たびに、目が覚める。
飲む
飲んだ
飲みます
飲んで
この本は、（読む）たびに新しい発見がある。
読みます
読んでいた
読む
読んだら
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