How to Use '-tari -tari suru' to Talk About Your Weekend Activities
Picture this: It's Monday morning, and your coworker asks you, "What did you do over the weekend?"
If you answer using the Te-form—"I watched a movie, and then I read a book, and then I cleaned my room"—you might sound a bit like a robot reporting a strict timeline. In real life, you rarely list every single activity you did in chronological order. Instead, you just give a few representative examples.
In Japanese, there is a perfect, natural grammar pattern for this: the ～たり～たりする (-tari -tari suru) form.
Using this pattern allows you to casually list actions without being exhaustive, implying that you did other things too. Let's learn the simple trick to making your lists sound instantly more native.
⚡ The "Golden Rule" of Tari-Tari
The conjugation is incredibly simple. If you know the Ta-form (plain past tense), you already know how to do this.
💡 How to Make It
- 1. Take the Ta-form of a verb and just add り (ri).
- 2. Repeat for your second verb.
- 3. Always end the sentence with する (suru) or its polite form します (shimasu).
Example: 見た (mita) ➔ 見たり (mitari)
That's it! Just take your past tense verbs, attach an "ri", and wrap it all up with "suru".
Why is this better than the Te-form? (Key Nuances)
The ～たり～たりする form has specific nuances that make it essential for casual, natural conversation. Here is what you communicate when you use it:
1. It's Not a Complete List
Using this form implies these are just representative examples. The listener automatically understands that you probably did other similar things too (like cleaning or grocery shopping) without you having to say it.
2. It's Not Sequential
Unlike the Te-form, which forces you to connect actions in chronological order (I did A, then I did B), the Tari-form has no sense of sequence. You can list your actions in whatever order pops into your head.
3. The Tense is at the End
Even though you use the past tense (Ta-form) inside the pattern, the actual tense of the whole sentence is determined entirely by the final する (suru).
4. Sounds More Fluent
It adds a layer of conversational nuance that a simple list using "and" (と or て) cannot capture, making your Japanese sound much more fluent and relaxed.
You Can Use Just ONE "Tari"!
Textbooks usually drill the pattern as a pair: "A-tari, B-tari suru." Because of this, many learners think they must always list at least two actions. But here is the secret native speakers use all the time: it's perfectly grammatically correct to use just one "tari".
The Single "Tari" (Giving a non-specific example)
By using just one action with "tari," you soften your statement. It means "I did things like [Action], among other things."
「週末は、映画を見たりしました。」
(Shūmatsu wa, eiga o mitari shimashita.)
"Over the weekend, I did things like watch a movie." (This implies you watched a movie, but it wasn't the only thing you did, keeping the conversation open and relaxed.)
A Sample Conversation & Conjugation Review
Let's see the full pattern in action in a typical exchange about weekend plans. Notice how the final verb しました (shimashita) makes the whole sentence past tense.
A-san: 週末は何をしましたか？
(Shūmatsu wa nani o shimashita ka?)
"What did you do over the weekend?"
B-san: うーん、家で映画を見たり、本を読んだりしました。
(Ūn, ie de eiga o mitari, hon o yondari shimashita.)
"Hmm, I did things like watch movies and read books at home."
If B-san were talking about plans for next weekend, the exact same sentence would simply end with します (shimasu) instead of しました (shimashita).
Quick Conjugation Reference
| Dictionary Form | TA-form | TARI-form |
|---|---|---|
| 見る (miru - to see) | 見た (mita) | 見たり (mitari) |
| 読む (yomu - to read) | 読んだ (yonda) | 読んだり (yondari) |
| する (suru - to do) | した (shita) | したり (shitari) |
Summary: You Just Leveled Up 🍄
The ～たり～たりする grammar pattern is your go-to tool for listing examples of actions in a natural, conversational way. The next time someone asks about your hobbies or what you did last Sunday, try tossing in a "tari" to make your Japanese sound instantly more fluent.
Ready to learn another essential pattern to connect your actions?
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