N5 Topics
L9: That Way Is Good
Talk about whether something would be better to do or not
That Way Is Good
In this Topic, we're going to learn how to give advice about what is better to do (or not) using the phrase ほうがいい. This phrase can be used in combination with verbs in a few different forms, with different forms implying different things.
Grammar in this Topic
たほうがいい
It'd be better to, Should do
In Japanese, there are several ways to express that something 'should' be done. たほうがいい is one of the most common, especially when giving advice. This expression uses the past tense of a verb grouped with 方, the particle が, and the い-Adjective, いい.
As 方 can be translated closely to 'way', or 'direction', this expression is suggesting that one specific choice is simply the better 'way'.
This expression is quite direct, and can imply that there may be some sort of negative consequence if (A) is not done. In that respect, this phrase could also be translated as 'It would be better if you did (A)'.
たほうがいい may also be used with the base (dictionary) form of a verb, but will sound more like a general opinion in those cases, rather than giving advice.Caution
Because this phrase is quite direct, it would be better to use a more polite expression like ばいい, if giving general advice.
ないほうがいい
It'd be better not to, Shouldn't do
Like たほうがいい, ないほうがいい is used in Japanese for giving advice. However, this expression suggests that it is better 'not' to do something.
This phrase is constructed by using the negative form of a verb grouped with 方, the particle が, and the い-Adjective, いい.
As 方 can be translated closely to 'way', or 'direction', this expression is suggesting that one specific choice is simply the better 'way'.
This expression is quite direct, and can imply that there may be some sort of negative consequence if the (A) verb is done.
Details
As mentioned on the grammar point pages, ほうがいい changes nuance based on the exact way it is used. Something we did not see is that ほうがいい can also be used with nouns and adjectives. Let's compare the uses and check the nuances.
I'm Warning You
As we've just learned, using the past tense of a verb before ほうがいい can sound like quite a direct, strong piece of advice. It can even be used as a warning, without going as far as a full command. However, using the dictionary form of a verb with ほうがいい makes a more general statement of preference, or much lighter generalized suggestion.
But why are these two different? And why is the 'past tense' used to give advice about the future?
The answer is that the auxiliary verb た doesn't just mean 'the past'. It can also represent a hypothetical completed state. When you use ～たほうがいい, it is essentially like asking someone to imagine the reality where they have completed the action, then saying that reality is the better one. Because it describes a specific, realized outcome, it feels urgent and strong.
When giving negative advice, we use the non-past tense ないほうがいい. Rather than imagining a completed action, the expression evaluates the preferable state as simply 'not doing' the action.
I'd Prefer It If…
When we learned about the pattern より～ほうが, we saw how ほうが can be used with nouns and adjectives. This also applies in the case of ほうがいい, when it is being used to make general statements about preference.
To recap, because ほう (方) is a noun, it follows the expected noun connection rules here. Standard form verbs connect directly, な-Adjectives connect with な, い-Adjectives connect directly, and nouns connect with the case-marking particle の.
A Working Holiday
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りえ：「家は向こうに行く前に決めたほうがいいですよね？」
あきこ：「向こうに着いてから決めたほうがいいね！時々、部屋が狭かったり、駅から遠かったりするから、自分の目で見て確かめるほうがいいよ！」
りえ：「そうですね！住む家はきれいなほうがいいです…。」
あきこ：「でしょう？」
りえ：「はい！仕事は着いてから見つけるほうがいいですか？」
あきこ：「そうだね。オーストラリアはレストランもカフェも多いから、まず色々な所に行って、自分がいいと思った所にするのがいいと思う。」
りえ：「わかりました！」
あきこ：「仕事を探すのは早いほうがいいよ！」
りえ：「頑張ります！」