"～たり～たりします" (~tari, ~tari shimasu) is used to list two or three representative actions or states out of several possibilities. Unlike "〜て、〜て" which lists actions sequentially in chronological order, this grammar is used to say "I do things such as A and B."
Attach 「り」(ri) to the Ta-form (past tense) of verbs. The sentence must always end with a form of the verb します (suru/shimasu).
Verb Conjugation
| Masu-form | Ta-form | Ta-form + り |
|---|---|---|
| 見ます | 見た | 見たり |
| 飲みます | 飲んだ | 飲んだり |
| 行きます | 行った | 行ったり |
休みの日は本を読んだり、映画を見たりします。
Yasumi no hi wa hon o yondari, eiga o mitari shimasu.
On my days off, I do things like read books and watch movies.
週末は買い物をしたり、友達と遊んだりしました。
Shūmatsu wa kaimono o shitari, tomodachi to asondari shimashita.
Over the weekend, I did things like go shopping and hang out with my friends.
Comparison Summary: "te" vs "tari"
| Expression | Used For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜て、〜て (~te, ~te) | Listing all actions in chronological order. | I wake up, eat breakfast, and go to school. |
| 〜たり、〜たり (~tari, ~tari) | Giving examples of actions out of many possibilities, in no specific order. | I do things like study Japanese and read books. (Implying that you may do other things too.) |
To change the tense (such as past, present, or expressing desire), you must conjugate the
final "suru/shimasu" verb.
❌ ゲームをした、本を読んだでした。
⭕
ゲームをしたり、本を読んだりしました。
⚡ Practice Quiz
Check your understanding!