In Japanese, there are several ways to make suggestions and give advice, but most of the time, a suggested action will be followed by one of these endings:
〜ほうがいい [hō ga ii]
〜たらいい[tara ii] or 〜ばいい[ba ii]
〜といい[to ii]
〜たらどうですか[tara dō desu ka] or 〜てはどうですか[tara/te wa dō desu ka]
What are the differences between them? When should you use each one? In this post, we’ll introduce you to the various ways to make suggestions in Japanese, and discuss which ones are appropriate in different contexts. Let’s get started!
In Japanese, you can use the phrase 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii], to mark an action or situation that you consider to be better than the alternative. This is, therefore, often used to make suggestions or give advice, much like you might tell someone “you’d better do this” in English.
This phrase is made of three basic parts:
ほう[hō], also written 方, means roughly “direction”
が[ga] is the standard focus particle
いい[ii] is an adjective meaning “good”
Broadly it is used like this:
Suggested action / situation
〜ほうがいい
hō ga ii
But the form that the suggested action takes can vary, depending on your desired meaning. Let’s have a look at some of the forms that can be used before 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii]!
When suggesting that someone should do something, use the ta-form of verbs before 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii].
ta-form
suggested action
〜ほうがいい
hō ga ii
そのすしは早く 食べたほうがいいですよ。
Sono sushi wa hayaku tabeta hō ga ii desu yo.
You’d better eat that sushi soon.
The ta-form of a verb always end in 〜た[ta] or 〜だ[da], but there are a few more rules to learn. Check out our introduction to the Japanese past tense for the full rules for creating this form.
Though the ta-form is most classically a past tense, it has other uses as well. In this case it represents a counterfactual, or in imagined action. Check out our post on other uses of the ta-form to see some other cases where the ta-form is used in hypotheticals.
To suggest that someone should not do something, use the plain negative form (also called the nai-form) of the verb before 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii].
Plain negative form
suggest not doing
〜ほうがいい
hō ga ii
そのすしは食べないほうがいいですよ。
Sono sushi wa tabenai hō ga ii desu yo.
You’d better not eat that sushi.
Note that you’ll always use the present tense negative form of the verb, never the past!
If you want to talk about something someone should have done in the past, all you need to do is change the tense of the final adjective:
〜ほうがいい
hō ga ii
would be better
〜ほうがよかった
hō ga yokatta
would have been better
Using the past tense, 〜ほうがよかった[hō ga yokatta], implies that the speaker is disappointed or regrets that the suggestion was not followed. It will follow the same verb forms as the present tense.
あのすし、早く食べたほうがよかったなあ。
Ano sushi, hayaku tabeta hō ga yokatta nā.
It would have been better if I had eaten that sushi sooner.
あのすし、 食べないほうがよかった・・・。
Ano sushi, tabenai hō ga yokatta….
It would have been better if I had not eaten that sushi…
The expression ほうが[hō ga] is also used to form true comparison sentences, like the one below.
東京ではタクシーに乗るより地下鉄を使うほうが早い。
Tōkyō de wa takushii ni noru yori chikatetsu o tsukau hō ga hayai.
In Tokyo, it’s faster to use the subway than to take a taxi.
Notice, though, that in the sentence above, ほうが[hō ga] comes after the dictionary form. This is common when making comparisons, but if you’re giving advice you should always use the ta-form.
Still, as long as you use the ta-form, you can use this general pattern when making a suggestion, to explain what the action you’re proposing is better than.
急ぐなら タクシーに乗るより 地下鉄を 使ったほうがいいですよ。
Isogu nara takushii ni noru yori chikatetsu o tsukatta hō ga ii desu yo.
If you are in a hurry, you do better to use the subway, rather than take a taxi.
Let’s look, now, at all the uses of 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] in Japanese. Though it’s used to give advice and make suggestions, that’s not the only use for this expression!
As mentioned above, 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] is used to suggest that someone “had better” do something or “had better not” do something.
雨が降りそうだから、早く帰ったほうがいいですよ。
Ame ga furisō da kara, hayaku kaetta hō ga ii desu yo.
It seems it’s going to rain, so you’d better go home early.
Just like “you had better,” 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] is a fairly strong way to give advice. Since giving advice toward one’s “superiors” is considered rather rude in Japan, it’s best to avoid using this expression to give advice to people like your teacher, boss, or customer.
There are some ways offer suggestions to superiors more politely, but don’t use 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] for this. Read on to find out more on which one we should use or not!
We can use 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] to express our opinions about a person who is not present should or shouldn’t do as well.
山本君の髪型、どう思う？
Yamamoto kun no kamigata, dō omou?
What do you think about Yamamoto’s hairstyle?
うーん、もう少し短くしたほうがいいと思う。
Ūn, mō sukoshi mijikaku shita hō ga ii to omou.
Hmm, I think he had better cut it a bit shorter.
You can also use 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] to consider different options or to ask your listener what they think you “had better” do.
今日は風がすごく強いから、散歩に行かないほうがいいかも。
Kyō wa kaze ga sugoku tsuyoi kara, sanpo ni ikanai hō ga ii kamo.
It’s terribly windy today, so maybe I had better not go out for a walk.
就職するより大学院に行ったほうがいいでしょうか。
Shūshoku suru yori daigakuin ni itta hō ga ii deshō ka.
Do you think I’d better go to graduate school than get a job?
You can also use 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] to discuss behaviors that you consider “better” for people in general, as a general rule.
健康のために毎日運動したほうがいい。
Kenkō no tame ni mainichi undō shita hō ga ii.
We had better do exercise every day for our health.
子供は甘やかさないほうがいい。
Kodomo wa amayakasanai hō ga ii.
We had better not spoil our children.
A second way to make a suggestion or give advice in Japanese is to use a verb before the adjective いい[ii]. There are two possible patterns, both of which literally mean something like “if you [verb], it’s good.”
Conditional with 〜たら[tara]
suggested action
いい
ii
Conditional with 〜ば[ba]
suggested action
いい
ii
What are these two conditional forms? Let’s look a bit closer at each:
The conditional with 〜たら[tara] is formed by combining the ta-form with the ending 〜ら[ra]. For example:
Ta-form | Conditional with 〜たら[tara] |
|---|---|
通った kayotta joined | 通ったら kayottara if (one) joins |
高かった takakatta it was expensive | 高かったら takakattara if (it's) expensive |
The conditional with 〜ば[ba] is a special verb form, sometimes called the ba-form. Though this will always end in 〜ば, the full ending depends on the type of word you’re adding the ending to. Here are a few examples. For the full rules, check this discussion of the ba-form.
Dictionary | Conditional with 〜ば[ba] |
|---|---|
たべる taberu to eat | たべれば tabereba if (one) eats |
あう au to match | あえば takakattara if (one) joins |
たのしい tanoshii (be) fun | たのしければ tanoshikereba if (it’s) fun |
Other Japanese conditional forms are not used in this structure.
〜たらいい[tara ii] and 〜ばいい[ba ii] are used where you would use “should (just)…” in English: to state that a certain action is desirable and is often all you need to achieve your goals. You can often use these two expressions interchangeably, but 〜ばいい[ba ii] sounds somewhat more formal than 〜たらいい[tara ii].
Using 〜ほうがいい[hō ga ii] implies that if you do not follow the advice something bad might happen, (“do this, or else!”)
Using 〜たらいい[tara ii] and 〜ばいい[ba ii] focuses more on the positives of following the advice, rather than the negatives of failing to follow the advice.
Let’s look at examples of some of the specific instances where you’ll want to use these two expressions!
You may use these expressions to offer direct advice to your listener.
空手がうまくなりたいなら、宮城先生の道場に通ったら / 通えばいいですよ。
Karate ga umakunaritai nara, Miyagi sensei no dōjō ni kayottara / kayoeba ii desu yo.
If you want to be good at Karate, you should (just) join Master Miyagi’s dojo.
疲れたなら、ちょっと休んだら / 休めばいいよ。
Tsukareta nara, chotto yasundara / yasumeba ii yo.
If you are tired, you should (just) take a little break.
Again, you should avoid using 〜たらいい[tara ii] or 〜ばいい[ba ii] to offer suggestions or advice to a superior, as this would be considered rude!
You can also use these expressions to mention what you think someone who’s not present should do.
健太と麻衣、どうしたら仲直りできるのかな。
Kenta to Mai, dō shitara nakanaori dekiru no kana.
I wonder how Kenta and Mai can become friends again.
健太があやまったら / あやまればいいんだよ。
Kenta ga ayamattara / ayamareba ii n da yo.
Kenta should (just) apologize, you see.
Both 〜たらいい[tara ii] and 〜ばいい[ba ii] can sometimes sound a little stand-offish or dismissive. If you want an equivalent that’s a little more friendly, try using 〜ばいい[to ii] instead. We’ll discuss that below!
You can use 〜たらいい[tara ii] and 〜ばいい[ba ii] to ask for advice about what you should do.
今日はちょっと寒そう。何を 着たら / 着ればいいかな。
Kyō wa chotto samusō. Nani o kitara / kireba ii kana.
It seems a bit cold today. What should I wear?
パスワードを忘れたときは、 どうしたら / どうすればいいですか。
Pasuwādo o wasureta toki wa, dō shitara / dō sureba ii desu ka.
What should I do when I forget my password?
You can give advice or make suggestions by attaching 〜といい[to ii] to the dictionary form of a verb. This ending is composed of the particle と[to] and the adjective いい[ii], meaning “good.”
dictionary form
suggested action
と
to
いい
ii
Structurally, it’s very simple! Let’s have a look at when you should use this ending to make a suggestion.
In Japanese, we use 〜といい[to ii] as a “softer” way to make a suggestion or give advice. Though it’s usually translated as “you should…” but it can also be translated as “I recommend…” or “I suggest that you…” Let’s look at some examples of cases where you’ll use this expression.
When you’re speaking directly to the person you’re advising, 〜といい[to ii] sounds kinder and more friendly than the other options.
京都へ行くなら、奈良へも行くといいですよ。
Kyōto e iku nara, Nara e mo iku to ii desu yo.
If you are going to Kyoto, you should also go to Nara.
眠そうだね。コーヒーがあるから、飲むといいよ。
Nemusō da ne. Kōhii ga aru kara, nomu to ii yo.
You look sleepy. I have some coffee, so you should have some.
Even though 〜といい[to ii] is a “softer” suggestion than the other options, you should still not use it to advise a superior!
You can also use 〜といい[to ii] to offer generic advice or discuss “common wisdom.”
玉ねぎを切るときは、包丁を水でぬらすといいです。
Tamanegi o kiru toki wa, hōchō o mizu de nurasu to ii desu.
When you slice onions, you should wet your knife with water.
夏バテにはうなぎを食べるといい。
Natsubate ni wa, unagi o taberu to ii.
You should eat eels for summer fatigue.
We usually don’t ask for advice using 〜といい[to ii]. Though it’s not always ungrammatical, it will always sound less natural than using 〜たらいい[tara ii] or 〜ばいい[ba ii].
✅ パーティーにはどんな服を着いったら / 着ていけばいいですか。
Pātii ni wa don’na fuku o kite ittara / ikeba ii desu ka.
What should I wear for the party?
❓ パーティーにはどんな服を着ていくといいですか。
Pātii ni wa don’na fuku o kite iku to ii desu ka.
If you’re using a question word, 〜といい[to ii] will sound especially bad.
✅ ママのスマホ壊しちゃった。どうしたらいい？
Mama no sumaho kowashichatta. Dō shitara ii?
I broke Mom’s smartphone. What should I do?
❌ どうするといい？
Dō suru to ii?
Now that you’ve read all about the four main ways to make suggestions and give advice in Japanese, let’s do a challenge! See if you can figure out what the implications of each of the possible answers might be in the example below:
New hire:
すみません、このソフトの使い方がわからないんですけど。
Sumimasen, kono sofuto no tsukaikata ga wakaranai n desu kedo.
Excuse me, but I don’t understand how to use this software.
ああ、それなら佐藤さんに聞くといいよ。
Ā, sorenara Satō san ni kiku to ii yo.
Oh, in that case, you should ask Ms. Sato.
ああ、それなら佐藤さんに聞いたら / 聞けばいいよ。
Ā, sorenara Satō san ni kiitara / kikeba ii yo.
Oh, in that case, you should ask Ms. Sato.
ああ、それなら佐藤さんに聞いたほうがいいよ。
Ā, sorenara Satō san ni kiita hō ga ii yo.
Oh, in that case, you’d better ask Ms. Sato.
Think about the three possible answers above. What’s the difference?
Answer A simply suggests that asking Ms. Sato would be a good place to start when learning to use the software.
Answer B says that all the new hire needs to do is ask Ms. Sato — this is the best course of action and asking her is all they need to do.
Answer C implies that if the new hire does not ask Ms. Sato, they’ll be in a bad spot, which adds a bit of urgency to the advice.
Though these three types of expressions are a bit different, there is one common restriction for all four: they shouldn’t be used toward a superior.
Wondering how you can make suggestions to your teachers, bosses, or customers? Let’s find it out in our last section of the day!
In Japanese, the best way to make a suggestion or give advice to a superior is to use 〜たらどう[tara dō desu ka] or 〜てはどうですか[te wa dō desu ka]. You can also use these endings to make a polite or “soft” suggestion to a non-superior.
These phrases end in the question particle か[ka], which means that you’re technically creating a question. For this reason, we usually translate them with a phrase like “how about you…?” or “what would you think about…?”
Just like their English equivalents, these are “softer” and more polite ways to make a suggestion, which you could use in a more deferential way — with a superior or other respected person.
Here is how to use each of these endings. In general, the first sounds a bit less formal.
Conditional with 〜たら[tara]
suggested action
どうですか
dō desu ka
how about?
Te-form with は[wa]
suggested action
どうですか
dō desu ka
how about?
There are several ways to alter the どう[dō] or ですか[desu ka] parts of these endings, depending on the context and level of formality. Here are some of the options, listed from casual to formal:
In a casual context (like between friends), you can remove the sentence ending ですか[desu ka] to make it less formal. In some cases you can even drop どう[dō]:
〜たら（どう）？
-tara (dō)
To be a bit more polite, replace the question word どう[dō](how) with its polite version いかが[ikaga](how).
〜たらいかがですか
-tara ikaga desu ka
〜ていかがですか
-te ikaga desu ka
In a very formal context, you can also replace sentence ending ですか[desu ka] with the honorific form でしょうか[deshō ka]
〜ていかがでしょうか
-te ikaga deshō ka
Let’s look at some examples of how these expressions might change in different social situations.
Informal conversation between friends:
おなかすいたなあ。
Onaka suita nā.
I’m hungry.
ドーナツがあるよ。食べたら (どう)？
Dōnatsu ga aru yo. Tabetara (dō)?
I have donuts. Why don’t you eat some?
Comfortable conversation between fellow travelers (strangers or acquaintances):
僕の部屋、エアコンが効かないんですよ。
Boku no heya, eakon ga kikanai ndesu yo.
The air conditioner in my room is not working.
フロントに頼んで、部屋を替えてもらったらどうですか。
Furonto ni tanonde, heya o kaete morattara dō desu ka.
Why don’t you ask the front desk to change rooms?
More polite — an employee to a customer at a store:
このスーツ、サイズがあうかな。
Kono sūtsu, saizu ga au kana.
I wonder if this suit is the right size for me.
ご試着になってはいかがですか。
Goshichaku ni natte wa ikaga desu ka.
Why don’t you try it on?
Deferential — a secretary to the president of the company:
社長、そろそろお出かけになってはいかがでしょうか。
Shachō, sorosoro odekake ni natte wa ikaga deshō ka.
Sir, why don’t you get ready to go out soon?
うむ、そうだな。そうしよう。
Um, sō da na. Sō shiyō.
Yes, you are right. I’ll do so.
Don’t forget, when you use the polite versions, to make sure the rest of the sentence is polite as well!
In this post, we covered several ways of expressing suggestions and advice in Japanese. Here’s a quick review table for you:
Expressions | Connotation / nuances | To superiors? |
|---|---|---|
〜たほうがいい …ta hō ga ii had better | If you don’t do the action, a negative consequence might follow. | No |
〜ないほうがいい …nai hō ga ii had better not | If you do the action, a negative consequence might follow. | No |
〜たらいい / 〜ばいい …tara ii / …ba ii should (just) | This is the best course of action in my opinion; it’s all you have to do to accomplish the goal. | No |
〜といい …to ii should | This action is good for you. | No |
〜たら / てはどうですか …tara / te wa dō desu ka Why don’t you…? / How about…? | What do you think of doing this action? | Yes, in politer versions |
Don’t forget to try our Japanese suggestions and advice activities to practice using these structures. Happy learning!
