JLPT N3・N4 Grammar – Difference between “～たり～たり”, “～て～て” and “〜や～など”
Table of Contents
1. Difference between “～たり～たり”, “～て～て” and “〜や～など”
2. ～たり～たり
3. 〜て〜て
4. 〜や〜など
5. Let’s Compare
6. Differences in Sentence Endings
7. Summary
8. Quiz
9. Similar Articles
10. Comment
Q: What is the difference in usage between “～たり～たり,” “～て～て,” and “～や～など”?
A: “～たり～たり” and “～て～て” connect to verbs, while “～や～など” is used with nouns. Since “～たり～たり” and “～て～て” express different meanings, be careful with their usage.
～たり～たり (JLPT N4)
[Meaning]
Used to give examples of multiple actions.
It does not indicate the order of actions but selects representative examples from several choices or events.
[Rules]
[V] Verb た form + り + Verb た form + り ～する
[Examples]
明日は映画を見たり買い物したりします。
Tomorrow, I will watch a movie and go shopping, among other things.
A:夏休みは何かしましたか。
B:友達に会ったりボランティアに参加したりしました。
A: Did you do anything during summer vacation?
B: I met friends and participated in volunteer activities, among other things.
〜て〜て (JLPT N4)
[Meaning]
Used to indicate the sequence of actions or events.
It connects multiple actions in chronological order.
[Rules]
[V] Verb て form + Verb て form
[Examples]
明日は友達と映画を見て、買い物して、ごはんを食べに行きます。
Tomorrow, I will watch a movie with my friends, go shopping, and then go out to eat.
新宿で電車を乗り換えて、渋谷で降りて、バスに乗ってください。
Please transfer trains at Shinjuku, get off at Shibuya, and take a bus.
宿題を終わらせて、テレビを見て寝ます。
After finishing my homework, I will watch TV and go to bed.
〜や〜など (JLPT N3)
[Meaning]
Used to list multiple nouns as examples.
Adding “など” implies that there are other similar items as well.
[Rules]
[N] Noun 1 や Noun 2 + など
[Examples]
この動物園には象やキリンなどがいます。
This zoo has elephants, giraffes, and other animals.
この商品はアメリカやイギリスなどでも売っています。
This product is sold in America, the UK, and other countries.
週末は映画やスポーツなどを楽しみます。
On weekends, I enjoy movies, sports, and other activities.
Let’s Compare
[「～たり～たり」と「～て～て」]
“～たり～たり” is used to present two representative examples from multiple options.
For example, when asked about plans for tomorrow, if there are multiple activities such as having a meal, watching a movie, meeting friends, or going shopping, two representative activities are selected from them.
[Example]
A: 明日は休みだね。何か予定あるの？
B: 友達と映画を見たり買い物したりする予定なんだ。
A: Tomorrow is a day off, right? Do you have any plans?
B: I’m planning to watch a movie and go shopping with my friends, among other things.
On the other hand, “～て～て” does not list examples but indicates the sequence of actions.
For example, if the actions are carried out in the following order:
① Watching a movie with friends, ② Going shopping, ③ Going out to eat, “～て～て” is used to connect the sentences.
[Example]
明日は友達と映画を見て、買い物して、ごはんを食べに行きます。
Tomorrow, I will watch a movie with my friends, go shopping, and then go out to eat.
Using “～たり～たり” and “～て～て” excessively can make sentences sound unnatural, so it is important to use them at an appropriate length. It is preferable to limit “～たり～たり” to two examples and “～て～て” to three.
[Examples]
× 明日は洗濯したり、映画を見たり、買い物したり、食事に行ったりします。
Tomorrow, I will do laundry, watch a movie, go shopping, and go out to eat.
〇 明日は買い物したり、食事に行ったりします。
Tomorrow, I will go shopping and go out to eat.
× 明日は友達と映画を見て、買い物して、コーヒーを飲みに行って、晩ごはんを食べます。
Tomorrow, I will watch a movie with my friends, go shopping, go for coffee, and have dinner.
〇 明日は友達と買い物して、コーヒーを飲みに行きます。
Tomorrow, I will go shopping with my friends and go for coffee.
[「～たり～たり」と「～や～など」]
Both are used to give examples, but “～たり～たり” represents actions, while “～や～など” indicates examples of things.
[Examples]「～たり～たり」(Examples of actions)
休日はおいしいものを食べに行ったり、旅行したりするのが好きです。
I like going out to eat delicious food and traveling on holidays.
週末は漫画を読んだり、ゲームをしたりします。
On weekends, I read manga and play games.
[Examples]「～や～など」(Examples of things)
休日は食事や旅行などをするのが好きです。
I like doing things such as eating and traveling on holidays.
大阪でたこ焼きやお好み焼きなどを食べました。
In Osaka, I ate takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and other foods.
Differences in Sentence Endings
There are differences in how “～て～て,” “～たり～たり,” and “～や～など” are used at the end of sentences.
Let’s understand their characteristics and review previous examples to confirm these differences.
[Examples]
週末は漫画を読んだり、ゲームをしたりするのが好きです。
I like reading manga and playing games on weekends.
⇒ “～たり～たり” must always end with “～する.”
新宿で電車を乗り換えて、渋谷で降りて、バスに乗ります。
I will transfer trains at Shinjuku, get off at Shibuya, and take a bus.
⇒ “～て～て” connects actions in sequence and must end with a verb.
京都といえば清水寺や金閣寺などが有名ですね。
Speaking of Kyoto, Kiyomizu Temple and Kinkakuji Temple are famous.
⇒ “～や～など” is used with nouns, but by changing the structure, the sentence can end with a verb or an adjective.
Summary
- “～たり～たり” and “～や～など” are used to give examples from multiple choices. However, “～たり～たり” is used for actions and behaviors, while “～や～など” is used for objects and concepts.
- “～たり～たり” pairs with the past tense (た-form) of verbs, while “～や～など” is used with nouns.
- “～て～て” indicates the sequence of actions.
[Differences in sentence endings]
- “～て～て” requires a verb at the end of the sentence.
- “～たり～たり” must end with “～する”.
- “～や～など” is used with nouns, but by changing the grammatical structure, a verb or adjective
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. 卵や野菜など
冷蔵庫に卵や野菜などが入っています。
There are eggs, vegetables, and other items in the refrigerator.
*Since two nouns are given as examples, “～や～など” is the correct choice.
A. ジムに行って、食事して
マリア：今晩何するの？
かな：ジムに行って、食事して、家に帰るよ。
Maria: What are you doing tonight?
Kana: I’m going to the gym, having dinner, and then going home.
*Since this sentence expresses the sequence of actions, “～て～て” is the correct choice.
A. 映画を見たり、買い物したり
休みの日はよく映画を見たり、買い物したりします。
Even though today is busy, the manager seems to be at ease.
*Since the sentence ends with “します,” “～たり～たり” is the correct choice.
A. すしやラーメンなど
すしやラーメンなどが好きです。
I like sushi and ramen.
*Since two nouns are given as examples, “～や～など” is the correct choice.
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