【〜たり〜たりする】 meaning, formation and examples (JLPT N5 grammar)

Meaning

1Gives representative examples of actions or states, implying the list is not complete.Ex. 1
2Expresses that two, often opposite, states or actions alternate or keep changing.Ex. 2

Examples

1

週末しゅうまつは本ほんを読よんだり、映画えいがを見みたりして、のんびり過すごします。

On weekends, I spend my time relaxing, doing things like reading books and watching movies.

2

この頃ごろの天気てんきは暑あつかったり寒さむかったりで、本当ほんとうに変かわりやすいです。

The weather these days goes back and forth between hot and cold; it's really changeable.

3

授業じゅぎょう中ちゅうに寝ねたりしてはいけません。

You mustn't do things like sleep in class.

Formation

＋りtwo or more items listed, followed by する, e.g. 読んだり見たりする

＋かったり暑かったり

/Noun＋だったり静かだったり、雨だったり

Negative: drop the final い of the ない-form and add かったり（行かなかったり）

Sentence-final〜たり〜たり＋だ天気は暑かったり寒かったりだ

Leading into a clause〜たり〜たり＋で暑かったり寒かったりで、変わりやすい

Modifying a noun〜たり〜たり＋の＋Noun行ったり来たりの生活

Used alone＋り＋する嘘をついたりする

Usage

A very common, neutral pattern used in both conversation and writing. It mentions sample activities, such as weekend plans or hobbies, or describes fluctuating conditions such as weather. Unlike 〜て, it does not indicate chronological order. Unlike 〜ながら, it does not specify whether the actions happen at the same time. Tense and politeness are marked on the final する, or on the copula in the 〜たり〜たりだ／で variant.

Watch out

Note that tense and politeness go on the final する or copula (見たりしました、暑かったり寒かったりでした), not on each たり form.

Do not use this pattern to express a fixed sequence of actions; use 〜て for events that happen in order.

Do not use this pattern to state explicitly that one person does two actions at the same time; 〜ながら marks simultaneity, while たり leaves timing unspecified.

Easily confused with

1.
だの〜だのN2「だの〜だの」 follows the plain form and carries clear dissatisfaction: it typically lists other people's complaints or excuses, is often followed by 「と言う」, and is mostly colloquial. It has no "sometimes… sometimes…" use and is unsuitable for neutral or positive lists.
2.
つ〜つN2「つ〜つ」 overlaps with this pattern only in expressing repeated alternation; it attaches to the ます-stem and is limited to fixed phrases like 「行きつ戻りつ」, which cannot be freely combined. It has no example-giving use and belongs to written language.
3.
ながら / いながら / ながらもN3「ながら」 means the same subject does two things at once, with the second action as the main one, and it can also mark contrast; 「たり」 gives examples or alternation, and the listed actions need not happen simultaneously. The simultaneous 「ながら」 attaches to the ます-stem and cannot be replaced with 「たり」.
4.
といったN2「といった」 follows nouns, quoted content, or even action phrases (as in 「現地に足を運ぶといった対応」) and is followed by a noun, so the whole unit modifies that noun and places the cited examples within its category. 「〜たり〜たりする」 instead lists actions or states, usually ending in 「する」 or 「だ／で」, and can also express repeated alternation, so the two differ in structure and are not interchangeable.

だの〜だの also lists examples, but it usually carries a complaining or critical tone, while といった lists nouns as examples before a following noun (AやBといったC). つ〜つ expresses alternation like sense (2), but it is literary and limited to set phrases such as 行きつ戻りつ; ながら explicitly marks two actions as simultaneous, whereas 〜たり〜たり lists examples or alternation without specifying timing.

Say it right, write it right