“tabi ni” Meaning & Usage — “Every Time…” [JLPT N3]

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

Attaches to a dictionary-form verb or noun+の to mean “every time A happens, B follows” — with examples. (JLPT N3)

「この歌を聞くたびに、あの夏を思い出す」 — every single time, it happens

「この歌を聞くたびに、あの夏を思い出す」 (every time I hear this song, I recall that summer) — 「たびに」 expresses “every time ～, (always) ～”: each time you do A, B happens along with it. It's not just “A, then B,” but stresses “every single time,” often with emotion or a recurring change. This guide covers 「たびに」's meaning and attachment, separating it from the plain conditional 「と／ば」 and the interval 「ごとに」.

Core: every time ～, (always) ～ (each occurrence brings it along)

「(noun の／verb dictionary form) ＋ たびに」 = “every time ～, each time ～” — binding “each A” to “the B that always accompanies it”:

• 彼に会うたびに、元気をもらう (every time I meet him, I get energized).
• 旅行のたびに、その土地の切手を買う (every time I travel, I buy that place's stamps).

Feel: “every single time … it happens …” — the point is the recurrence of “every A, without exception, brings B,” where B is often an accompanying feeling, change, or habit. 「たび」's kanji is 「度」 — “each time, every occasion.”

Attachment

Examples in use

• 会うたびに、彼女はきれいになっている。(Every time we meet, she's become prettier.) — recurring change
• この写真を見るたびに、祖母を思い出す。(Every time I see this photo, I recall my grandmother.) — emotion
• 引っ越しのたびに、荷物が増えていく。(Every time I move, my belongings grow.) — accumulating change
• 彼は来るたびに、お土産を持ってくる。(Every time he comes, he brings a souvenir.) — habit
• 台風のたびに、この道は水浸しになる。(Every time there's a typhoon, this road floods.) — regular phenomenon

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① Nouns add 「の」, verbs use the dictionary form. noun ＋ たびに must have 「の」 between: 旅行のたびに (○), 旅行たびに (×); verbs attach the dictionary form ＋ たびに: 会うたびに (○), 会ったたびに (×, not the た-form). This is the most basic and most-erred attachment point.

② 「たびに」 stresses ‘every single time,' adding recurrence and accompaniment over plain 「と／ば」. と／ば = (general condition) as soon as … then … (春になると桜が咲く = when spring comes, cherries bloom — a regularity); たびに = every time … (stressing each occurrence brings B, often with emotion/change) (春が来るたびに、昔を思い出す = every spring, I recall the past). To stress “every single time,” use たびに; for a plain inevitable condition use と／ば.

③ 「たびに」's B is usually ‘an accompanying change or feeling,' not a plain command. After たびに come naturally accompanying results, feelings, changes (会うたびに元気をもらう, 見るたびに思い出す). Unlike 「たら」, it doesn't naturally take a command/request (「家に帰ったら電話して」 uses たら, not たびに). For “every time you do A, (also) please do B,” use another form; たびに is specifically “every A inevitably brings B.”

🔄 Compare: たびに／と・ば／ごとに／いつも

💡 The key point in use

「〜たびに」 = every time ～, (always) ～, binding “each A” to “the B that always accompanies,” its core the recurrence of “every time, without exception,” where B often carries emotion, change, habit (会うたびに元気をもらう; 見るたびに思い出す; 引っ越すたびに荷物が増える). Three points: ① attachment — noun ＋ の ＋ たびに, verb in the dictionary form ＋ たびに (not the た-form); ② division of labor with と／ば — たびに stresses the recurrence and emotion of “every single time,” と／ば is just a general condition's inevitability; ③ B is usually an accompanying change/feeling, not a plain command (that takes たら). For that emotional recurrence of “every time … it happens,” たびに nails it.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: 「たびに」 and 「と」 both mean ‘as soon as ～' — when should I use 「たびに」?

When you want to stress the recurrence of “every single time,” especially when B is an accompanying feeling or change. 「と」 = (general condition) as soon as … then …, stating a regularity, an inevitable cause-effect: ボタンを押すと、ドアが開く (press the button and the door opens — a mechanical inevitability, not stressing each time's emotion). 「たびに」 = every time … (always) …, stressing ‘each occurrence brings it along,' often with emotion, recurring change: その曲を聞くたびに、涙が出る (every time I hear that tune, tears come — stressing “each time I hear it, it happens,” with emotion). The difference is focus: 「と」 focuses on “the inevitable A→B relation”; 「たびに」 on “every single A brings B,” the recurrence and accompaniment. So for a mechanical inevitability (押すと開く) use 「と」; for “every time … (emotionally/changingly) …” (会うたびに綺麗になる, 見るたびに思い出す) use 「たびに」. Also, 「たびに」 pairs well with incremental change (〜たびに〜ていく／〜ている: 会うたびに背が伸びている = taller each time I see them) — this “more each time” accumulation is its specialty.

Q: Do 「たびに」 and 「ごとに」 mean the same?

Not exactly — 「たびに」 stresses ‘each trigger ＋ accompaniment,' 「ごとに」 stresses ‘a regular interval or distribution.' 「たびに」 = every time (you do/it happens) … then … (each occurrence brings another thing): 地震のたびに、防災意識が高まる (every time there's an earthquake, disaster-awareness rises — each earthquake ‘occurrence' brings B). What precedes is “a recurring event” (会う, 見る, 旅行, 地震). 「ごとに」 = every …, each … (a regular interval, or one-by-one distribution), with two common uses: ① regular interval — 3日ごとに薬を飲む (take medicine every 3 days); 5分ごとに電車が来る (a train every 5 minutes); ② one-by-one distribution — 一人ごとに違う (differs per person); 店ごとに値段が違う (prices differ by shop). What precedes is usually “a quantity, unit, interval.” Simple split: for “every time some event happens” use たびに; for “every so many／each unit” use ごとに. Sometimes 「〜ごとに」 can also mean “each time” (会うごとに = 会うたびに), close in meaning, but for “regular intervals, one-by-one distribution” only ごとに works (3日ごとに can't be 3日たびに).

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「この歌を聞く___、故郷を思い出す。」(Every time I hear this song, I think of my hometown)

(A) たびに　(B) ながら　(C) と　(D) ので

Q2. 「旅行の___、新しい友達ができる。」(Every trip, I make new friends; noun connection)

(A) たびに　(B) のたびに　(C) ながら　(D) ごとに

Q3. 「彼は会う___、私のことを褒めてくれる。」(He praises me every time he sees me)

(A) たびに　(B) と　(C) ながら　(D) ので

Q4. 「音楽を聴き___、勉強する。」(Studying while listening to music; simultaneous actions)

(A) たびに　(B) ながら　(C) と　(D) ので

Q5. 「この写真を見る___、笑ってしまう。」(Every time I look at this photo, I can't help laughing)

(A) ながら　(B) と　(C) たびに　(D) から

Answer Explanations

1. (A) たびに ── 「この歌を聞くたびに故郷を思い出す」= I think of my hometown every time I hear this song; a fixed emotional linkage → たびに.

2. (B) のたびに ── Noun (旅行) + たびに: noun + の + たびに = 「旅行のたびに」. (A) たびに needs の before it.

3. (A) たびに ── 「会うたびに褒めてくれる」= praises me every time we meet, a repeated linkage → たびに.

4. (B) ながら ── 「音楽を聴きながら勉強する」= doing two things at once (listening to music + studying) → ながら. Verb ます-form minus ます + ながら.

5. (C) たびに ── 「この写真を見るたびに笑ってしまう」= can't help laughing every time I look, repeated emotion → たびに.