たびに
- 1Every time X happens, Y also happens or is done.Ex. 1
- 2On each occasion of the event named by a noun, someone does the same thing.Ex. 2
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Neutral in register and used in both speech and writing to describe something that recurs each time a certain occasion comes around, such as looking at a photo or going on a business trip. The main clause describes what reliably follows on each occasion, often a feeling, memory or habitual action. Compared with とき, which simply means "when", たびに emphasizes that the result repeats without exception.
Do not use the た-form before たびに; say 見るたびに, not 見たたびに, even when talking about the past.
Note that nouns need の before たびに: 出張のたびに, not 出張たびに.
Learners should make sure the たびに clause names separate, recurring occasions; a single continuous state with no distinct occasions does not fit.
- につけN2「につけ」 is more literary; the preceding clause usually uses perception/thinking verbs like 見る, 聞く, or 思う, and the following clause describes feelings that arise naturally. With nouns it is limited to set phrases like 「何かにつけ」, meaning "at every turn." When expressing an emotional reaction, the two are often interchangeable.
- ごとにN3「ごとに」 attaches directly to nouns and numerals to express fixed intervals or unit-based division, a use 「たびに」 does not have. When attached to verbs they are often interchangeable, but gradual change expressions like 「時間が経つごとに」 should not use 「たびに」.
- とN5「と」 overlaps with 「たびに」 only when expressing a condition. For repeated habits they are often interchangeable, but 「たびに」 emphasizes that something happens "every single time." 「と」 can also use the past tense to describe a one-time discovery or a sequence of events, which 「たびに」 cannot.
- たらN4「たら」 expresses a supposition, completion, or an unexpected discovery, while 「たびに」 emphasizes that something happens every time. 「たら」 attaches to the た-form, while 「たびに」 attaches to the dictionary form or 「noun + の」. For repeated habits, 「たら」 combined with 「いつも」 can express a similar meaning.
- ときN5「とき」 means "when..." and can be used for both one-time and repeated events, attaching to the た-form and to adjectives. 「たびに」 emphasizes "every time," requires the preceding event to occur repeatedly, and does not attach to the た-form. Repeated events can use 「とき」, but without the "every time" emphasis.
Unlike とき, と or たら, which can describe a single occasion or a condition, たびに stresses that the result repeats on every occasion. ごとに is typically used for regular units or intervals such as time and numbers, and につけ is a more formal N2 pattern that often appears with verbs like 見る or 聞く when something triggers a feeling or memory.
