がち
Apt to do, Tend to do, Prone to do
Structure
Noun + がち
Noun (1) + がち + な(2) + Noun
(1) Verb［stem］
(2) の
Explanation
The suffix がち attaches to nouns or the stem form of verbs. It expresses that something 'often happens', someone 'is liable to do (A)', or has a 'tendency to (A)'. While not exclusively negative, がち typically highlights undesirable habits or trends.
- 最近、夜ふかししがちだけど、明日は早く寝よう。Lately I've been tending to stay up late, but tomorrow I'll go to bed early.
- あの店の店主は留守がちなので、行く前に電話したほうがいい。The owner of that shop is often out, so you should probably call before you go.
- 文句を言いがちな人は、周りから嫌われる。People who are prone to complaining are disliked by those around them.
Fun Fact
The origin of this grammar point is the word 勝ち, which means 'victory' or 'a win'. By itself, 勝ち can describe something that occurs with great frequency. This helps to understand がち with the English idea of one outcome 'winning out' over others. Out of several potential outcomes, the one described with がち is the one that most often prevails, whether by choice, habit, or chance.
- 週末は家でゴロゴロしがちだけど、たまには外に出かける。Lazing around at home is what usually wins out on weekends, but once in a while I'll go out.
- この料理は失敗しがちだから、気をつけて作ってね。Failure often wins out with this recipe, so be careful when you make it.
- 新人のころはミスはありがちだから、そんなに心配しなくていいよ。Making mistakes is something that often wins out when you're a newcomer, so you don't need to worry so much.
Examples
父は出張が多いので、留守がちです。
My father is on business trips a lot, so he tends to be away from home.
梅雨の時期は曇りがちで、洗濯物が乾きにくい。
During the rainy season, it tends to be cloudy, and laundry is hard to dry.
彼女は新しい環境では緊張しがちだ。
She tends to get nervous in new environments.
休みの日は、つい怠けがちになる。
On my days off, I tend to just end up being lazy.
若い頃は徹夜しても平気で、無理しがちだった。
When I was young, I could stay up all night without a problem and tended to push myself too hard.
人間は自分の経験だけで物事を判断しがちだ。
People are prone to judging things based only on their own experiences.
一人暮らしだと、どうしても野菜が不足しがちになる。
When you live alone, you inevitably tend to not eat enough vegetables.
難しいと思いがちですが、やってみると案外かんたんです。
People tend to think it's difficult, but it's surprisingly easy once you try it.
冬は寒くて、家にこもりがちになる。
In the winter, it's cold, so I'm apt to just stay cooped up at home.
これは忘れがちなポイントなので、メモしておきましょう。
This is a point people are apt to forget, so let's make a note of it.
彼は無口で冷たい人に見えがちですが、実はとても親切です。
He's quiet and tends to seem like a cold person, but he's actually very kind.
最近、運動していないので太りがちだ。
I haven't been exercising lately, so I'm prone to gaining weight.