N4 · Linking clauses
Doing things like this and that: たり〜たりする
たり〜たりする (listing examples)
Two or more たり-forms give examples of what someone does, and する at the end carries the tense.
The たり-form is the た-form with り added: 行った → 行ったり, 読んだ → 読んだり. Two or more of them, followed by する, list actions as examples: 週末は掃除をしたり、買い物に行ったりします, "at the weekend I do things like cleaning and going shopping".
The difference from the て-form is what the list claims. 掃除をして、買い物に行きます says: these things, in this order. たり says: things of this kind, in no particular order, and possibly others. It is the verbal equivalent of や in a list of nouns.
The tense and politeness go on the final する, never on the たり-forms: しました, します, したい, してください. Forgetting that final する, or giving only the first item a たり, are the two mistakes English speakers make most.
Two たり-forms with opposite meanings describe something that alternates: 行ったり来たりする (go back and forth), 泣いたり笑ったりする (laugh and cry by turns). Adjectives and nouns join in too: 暑かったり寒かったり, 雨だったり雪だったり.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| いく (go) → going and so on | 行ったり |
| よむ (read) → reading and so on | 読んだり |
| たべる (eat) → eating and so on | 食べたり |
| する (do) → doing and so on | したり |
| くる (come) → coming and so on | 来たり |
| i-adjective | 暑かったり寒かったり |
| noun | 雨だったり雪だったり |
| in a sentence | 本を読んだり、映画を見たりします。 |
The rules one by one
たり is built from the た-form, so it follows every irregularity of the た-form.
泳いだり、走ったりしました。I did things like swimming and running.
The list ends in する, which carries tense and politeness for all the items.
昨日は友達と話したり、ゲームをしたりしました。Yesterday I chatted with friends, played games and so on.
Every item in the list takes たり, not only the first.
休みの日は寝たり、テレビを見たりします。On my days off I sleep, watch TV, that kind of thing.
Two opposite たり-forms describe something that keeps changing back and forth.
犬が部屋を出たり入ったりしています。The dog keeps going in and out of the room.
A closer look
One たり on its own
A single たり-form followed by する is also common. It gives one example and implies there might be others: 週末は友達と会ったりします, "at weekends I meet friends and so on". The effect is to make the statement less blunt.
In requests and prohibitions this softening is the whole point: 人の悪口を言ったりしてはいけません is "you mustn't go saying unkind things about people" — it forbids the whole category, not only one act, and sounds less like an order than a rule.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the たり pair describes alternating states such as weather or mood
the sentence can end in です or だ instead of する.
今週の天気は晴れたり曇ったりです。This week the weather is a mix of sun and cloud.
The pair then works like a description, a single noun-like phrase, rather than a list of actions someone does.
How to spot it
- 〜たり〜たりする
- 〜だり
- 〜たりします
- 〜たりしました
Example sentences
日曜日は洗濯をしたり、料理を作ったりします。On Sundays I do things like the washing and cooking.
旅行では写真を撮ったり、お土産を買ったりしました。On the trip I took photos, bought souvenirs and so on.
子供たちは庭で走ったり跳んだりしています。The children are running and jumping about in the garden.
最近は暑かったり寒かったりします。Recently it has been hot one day and cold the next.
夏休みには海で泳いだり、山に登ったりしたいです。In the summer holidays I want to swim in the sea, climb mountains and so on.
図書館で大きい声で話したりしないでください。Please don't talk loudly or anything like that in the library.
7 more example sentences
暇なときは、音楽を聞いたり、散歩したりします。When I have time, I listen to music, go for walks, things like that.
彼は部屋の中を行ったり来たりしています。He is pacing up and down the room.
映画を見ながら、泣いたり笑ったりしました。Watching the film, I laughed and cried.
週末は友達に会ったりしますか。Do you see friends and so on at the weekend?
薬を飲んだ後は、運転したりしないでください。After taking the medicine, please don't drive or do anything like that.
店によって、安かったり高かったりします。Depending on the shop, it can be cheap or expensive.
休みの日は家で本を読んだりするのが好きです。On my days off I like staying in and reading, that sort of thing.
Worth knowing (1)
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たり is the verb version of や
Nouns listed as examples take や: 本や雑誌, "books, magazines and so on". Verbs listed as examples take たり. The idea is the same — a sample, not a complete list — and so is the contrast: と lists nouns completely, and the て-form lists actions completely and in order.
本や雑誌を読んだり、手紙を書いたりしました。I read books and magazines, wrote letters and so on.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The pattern is a pair: every example takes たり, and the list closes with する. Stopping after the first one leaves 見ます as a separate statement and the たり hanging with nothing to attach to.
Every item takes たり, and する at the end does the rest.
Your turn
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