“〜gachi da”: Tend to 〜, Apt to 〜 (a negative tendency) [JLPT N1]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

Master 〜がちだ to express negative tendencies and avoid common mistakes.

「疲れると、ミスをしがちだ」 — 「がちだ」, a (usually negative) “tends to ~”

「疲れると、ミスをしがちだ」 (when tired, you tend to make mistakes) — 「(verb ます-stem／noun) ＋ がち(だ)」 means “tends to ~, is apt to ~, is prone to ~,” describing a (usually negative, undesirable) tendency. Like 「遅刻しがち (always late), 病気がち (sickly), 忘れがち (forgetful)」. This guide covers 「がちだ」's attachment, that “negative tendency” feel, and separates it from the neutral 「やすい」.

Core: is apt to ~ (usually a negative tendency)

「〜がちだ」 = “tends to ~, is apt to ~, is prone to ~,” mostly describing a negative, undesirable tendency:

• verb ます-stem ＋ がち: 忙しいと食事が不規則になりがち (when busy, meals tend to get irregular).
• noun ＋ がち: 病気がち (sickly), 遠慮がち (reserved, hesitant), 曇りがち (mostly cloudy).

Feel: “often, apt to (in a bad way)…” — a negative, undesirable tendency.

How to Connect

Examples in context

• 疲れていると、つまらないミスをしがちだ。(When tired, you tend to make silly mistakes.) — negative tendency
• 彼は子供の頃、病気がちだった。(He was sickly as a child.) — noun
• 現代人は睡眠不足になりがちだ。(Modern people tend to be sleep-deprived.) — tendency
• 一人暮らしだと、食事が偏りがちになる。(Living alone, your diet tends to get unbalanced.) — tendency
• 彼女は遠慮がちに手を挙げた。(She raised her hand hesitantly.) — noun (manner)

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① Mostly negative and undesirable. がちだ mostly describes negative tendencies (being late, ill, mistaken, eating poorly); a neutral/positive “easy to” uses 「やすい」 (このペンは書きやすい = easy to write with, ✗ 書きがち). Use がち only for “(in a bad way) often ~.”

② 「がちだ」 (negative tendency, frequency) vs 「やすい」 (easy, neutral). がちだ = apt to, prone to (mostly negative) (a tendency, frequency); やすい = easy (neutral, positive or negative, about the ease of a property) (割れやすい = fragile, 使いやすい = easy to use). Test: “a (bad) tendency that often occurs” → がち; “a property that's easy (to do/happen)” → やすい.

③ Attaches as “ます-stem (drop ます)”／noun. 忘れがち (忘れます→忘れ), 遅刻しがち (noun 遅刻 ＋ がち), 病気がち (noun). Verbs use the ます-stem (renyōkei), not the dictionary form (✗ 忘れるがち).

🔄 Nuance & comparison: がちだ／やすい／っぽい／気味

💡 The one thing to remember

The core of 「がちだ」 is “a tendency to (often, be apt to) ~,” and mostly a negative one — ミスをしがち (always making mistakes), 遅刻しがち (always late), 病気がち (sickly), 睡眠不足になりがち (often short on sleep). Two points: ① mostly negative, undesirable (a good/neutral “easy” uses やすい, not がち); ② attaches as “ます-stem (drop ます)” or a noun (忘れがち, 病気がち). The easiest confusion is 「やすい」: がち = a (bad) tendency that often occurs; やすい = a property that's easy (neutral). To gripe that someone/something “is always, is forever (having problems),” がち is spot-on.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: How do I tell 「がちだ」 from 「やすい」?

By “negative tendency/frequency” vs “neutral ease of a property.” 「がちだ」 = apt to, prone to (describing ‘a tendency that often occurs,' mostly negative/undesirable): この時期は風邪をひきがちだ (you tend to catch colds this season — a negative tendency), 都会では人間関係が希薄になりがちだ (in cities, relationships tend to grow distant — undesirable). 「やすい」 = easy (describing ‘the ease of a property,' neutral, positive or negative): この道は滑りやすい (this road is slippery — a property), 使いやすいアプリ (an easy-to-use app — positive). So: “a (bad) tendency that often occurs” → がち; “a property that's easy (to do/happen)” → やすい. A good/neutral “easy” always uses やすい (✗ 書きがち → ○ 書きやすい); only a negative frequency of “always, apt to (have problems)” uses がち.

Q: What form does the verb before 「がちだ」 take?

The 「ます-stem (＝renyōkei, drop ます)」, not the dictionary form. 忘れます→忘れ ＋ がち = 忘れがち (✗ 忘れるがち), 遅刻します→遅刻し ＋ がち (✗ 遅刻するがち), なります→なり ＋ がち = なりがち. Nouns attach directly: 病気 ＋ がち = 病気がち, 遠慮 ＋ がち = 遠慮がち. To modify a noun, add な after がち: 曇りがちな天気 (cloudy weather), 遠慮がちな態度 (a reserved attitude). Mnemonic: verb drops ます, noun attaches directly, add がちな before a noun.

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. 「忙しいと、食事が不規則になり___だ。」(when busy, meals tend to become irregular)

(A) やすい　(B) がち　(C) っぽい　(D) ようだ

Q2. 「高齢になると、物忘れし___になる。」(in old age, one tends to become forgetful)

(A) がち　(B) たて　(C) っぽい　(D) きり

Q3. What does 「がちだ」 mean?

(A) be able to do

(B) have a tendency to do (especially a negative/undesirable tendency)

(C) want to do

(D) used to do

Q4. 「このサービスは不具合が出___です。」(this service tends to have glitches)

(A) がち　(B) やすく　(C) がちで　(D) both A and C

Q5. What's the difference between 「がちだ」 and 「やすい」?

(A) exactly the same

(B) がちだ emphasizes a negative tendency; やすい is neutral (positive/negative/anything)

(C) がちだ is written only; やすい is colloquial only

(D) opposite meanings

Answer Key

1. (B) がち ── 不規則になりがちだ = tends to become irregular (a negative tendency).

2. (A) がち ── 物忘れしがちになる = tends to become forgetful.

3. (B) ── がちだ = have a tendency to do (especially a negative/undesirable one).

4. (D) both A and C ── 出がちです / 出がちで are both fine (がち ＋ です/で).

5. (B) ── がちだ emphasizes a negative tendency; やすい is neutral.