“〜tara dou・〜tara ii”: Why Don't You 〜? / It'd Be Good to 〜 (gentle suggestions) [JLPT N3]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「早く病院に行ったらどう？」「相談したらいい」 — soft suggestions, never commands.
「ちょっと休んだらどう？」 — phrasing advice as if looking out for the other
Your friend is worn out and you want to suggest a rest; the most natural line is 「ちょっと休んだらどう？」 (why not rest a bit?). Both 「〜たらどう」 and 「〜たらいい」 use the conditional 「たら」 to wrap advice and inquiry, softening the tone into looking out for the other. This guide covers 「〜たらどう (suggestion)」「〜たらいい (inquiry/wish)」's uses and attachment, separating them from the more direct 「〜ほうがいい」.
Core: wrapping advice and inquiry in 「たら」
Adding different endings to the conditional 「たら」 makes gentle suggestions or inquiries:
- 〜たらどう(ですか) = why don't you ～?／how about ～? (a suggestion, urging): 医者に行ったらどう？ (why not see a doctor?)
- 〜たらいい(ですか) = would it be good to ～?／how should I ～? (asking for advice, or stating advice): どうしたらいいですか (what should I do?).
- 〜たらいいのに = if only ～ (a wish, regret): もっと早く言ったらいいのに (if only you'd said so sooner).
Core feel: “why not …?／would it be good to …?／if only …” — all take the hypothesis of “if you did ～” to softly suggest, ask a method, or express a wish, far more polite than a direct command.
Attachment & the three endings
| Ending | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜たらどう(ですか) | why not ～? (suggestion, urging) | 休んだらどう |
| 〜たらいい(ですか) | how should I ～? (asking advice)／～ is good (stating advice) | どうしたらいい |
| 〜たらいいのに | if only ～ (wish, regret) | 来たらいいのに |
Examples in context
- 疲れているなら、少し休んだらどうですか。(If you're tired, why not rest a little?)
- わからないなら、先生に聞いたらどう？ (If you don't get it, why not ask the teacher?)
- この場合、どう対応したらいいでしょうか。(In this case, how should I respond?)
- 何を準備したらいいか、教えてください。(Please tell me what I should prepare.)
- 彼も来たらいいのに、残念だね。(If only he could come too — a shame.)
⚠️ Where learners slip up
① 「〜たらどう？」 can be rude to elders/bosses, with a ‘why haven't you …' feel. Though a suggestion, 「〜たらどう？」 to elders, bosses can sound like directing or reproaching them, “why haven't you done it yet?” (e.g., to a manager 「早く帰ったらどうですか」 is quite rude). To suggest to a superior, switch to a politer form: 「〜てはいかがですか」 (more respectful), 「〜（する）のもいいと思います」「〜されてはどうでしょう」. With peers, juniors, friends, 「〜たらどう？」 is natural; with superiors, take care.
② 「たら」's attachment: make the た-form, then change to たら. Not the dictionary form ＋ たらどう, but first the past た-form, extending 「た／だ」 to 「たら／だら」: 行く→行ったらどう; 飲む→飲んだらどう; する→したらどう; 来る→来（き）たらどう. Don't get this 「た-form→たら」 change wrong.
③ 「〜たらどう」 (suggestion) vs 「〜たらいい」 (asking method/stating advice) differ in slant. 「〜たらどう？」 is ‘actively suggesting to the other (why don't you …)' (休んだらどう？ = why not rest, [my suggestion]); 「〜たらいい？」 leans ‘asking a method (how should I do it) or stating advice (just do …)' (どうしたらいい？ = what should I do?; これを押したらいいよ = just press this). To actively urge the other use たらどう; to ask/answer “how to do it right” use たらいい.
🔄 Compare with similar forms: たらどう／たらいい／たほうがいい／ば・といい
| Form | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜たらどう(ですか) | why not ～? (active suggestion; can be rude to superiors) | 休んだらどう |
| 〜たらいい(ですか) | how should I ～? (asking method)／～ is good (advice) | どうしたらいい |
| 〜たほうがいい | had better ～ (stronger, more direct advice) | 休んだほうがいい |
| 〜ばいい／〜といい | ～ will do／if only ～ (method or wish) | 押せばいい／来るといい |
💡 An exam judgment tip
「〜たらどう」「〜たらいい」 both use the conditional 「たら」 to wrap advice softly: ① 〜たらどう(ですか) = why don't you ～? (an active suggestion, urging) (休んだらどう？, 聞いたらどう？); ② 〜たらいい(ですか) = how should I ～? (asking a method) or ～ is good (stating advice) (どうしたらいい？, これを押したらいい); ③ 〜たらいいのに = if only ～ (a wish, regret). Three points: ① attachment — make the た-form, then change to 「たら」 (休む→休んだら, する→したら); ② go easy on 「〜たらどう？」 with elders/bosses — it carries a “why haven't you …” directing feel; for superiors use 「〜てはいかがですか／〜されてはどうでしょう」; ③ たらどう (active suggestion) vs たらいい (asking method/advice) differ in slant. Master “wrap advice in たら” ＋ “switch to a politer form for superiors,” and your advice becomes both gentle and fitting.
❓ FAQ
Q: Isn't 「〜たらどうですか」 a polite suggestion? Why can't I use it with my boss?
Because though 「〜たらどうですか」 is formally a polite 「ですか」 suggestion, its inner tone is “why don't you do ～?” — carrying a pointing, prodding nuance of “you haven't done it yet, and I think you should.” With friends, juniors, peers it's natural (「疲れたなら休んだらどう？」 = if you're tired, just rest); but with bosses, elders, clients, it amounts to “advising, directing” a superior on what to do, which sounds presumptuous, out of place. E.g., to a manager 「早く帰ったらどうですか」 (why don't you go home early) sounds like lecturing your boss — quite rude. To suggest to a superior, use forms that raise them and are more indirect: 「〜てはいかがですか」 (how about ～, more respectful), 「〜されてはどうでしょうか」 (might you ～?), 「〜のもよろしいかと思います」 (I think ～ might also be good). Principle: 「たらどう」 for peers and below; for superiors always switch to a more respectful, indirect suggestion pattern. This reflects Japanese's “adjust even advice to the addressee.”
Q: 「たらいい」 and 「たほうがいい」 both give advice — what's the difference?
Strength and form. 「〜たらいい」 = ～ will do, ～ is good (gentler, often for ‘asking a method' or ‘offering an option'): asking a method — どうしたらいいですか (what should I do?), 何を持っていったらいい？ (what should I take?); offering advice — 困ったら、この番号に電話したらいいよ (if stuck, just call this number). Its tone is light, like “doing it this way would be good.” 「〜たほうがいい」 = had better ～, better to ～ (stronger, more direct urging, with a ‘comparing the two, this is the right one' nuance): もう遅いから、帰ったほうがいい (it's late, you'd better go home); 薬を飲んだほうがいいよ (you'd better take medicine). Its tone is weightier, implying “not doing so would be bad” — clear advice. So: for a gentle hint or asking a method use 「たらいい」; for stronger, clearer counsel use 「たほうがいい」. To advise an elder, 「〜たほうがいいですよ」 is a bit better than 「たらどう」, but safer still is 「〜たほうがよろしいかと」 or an indirect phrasing.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「体の具合が悪いなら、早めに病院に行っ___。」(If you're unwell, why not go to the hospital soon? a polite suggestion)
(A) てください (B) たらどうですか (C) たほうがいい (D) なさい
Q2. 「悩んでいるなら、誰かに相談し___と思う。」(If you're troubled, I think it'd be good to talk to someone)
(A) たらどうですか (B) たらいい (C) てください (D) なければならない
Q3. What's the nuance of 「たらどうですか」?
(A) A command (do ~)
(B) An indirect suggestion/proposal (advice given with your interest in mind)
(C) Permission (you may ~)
(D) Prohibition (you must not ~)
Q4. 「明日、締め切りが来る___。早く終わらせ___。」(The deadline is tomorrow, so hurry and finish it; between friends)
(A) のに、たらどうですか (B) のに、たら？ (C) から、てください (D) から、たらいいのに
Q5. 「もっと早く知っ___。準備できたのに。」(If only I'd known sooner; regret)
(A) たらどうですか (B) たらいいのに (C) てください (D) たほうがいい
Answer Explanations
1. (B) たらどうですか ── 「早めに病院に行ったらどうですか (why not go to the hospital soon?)」= a polite, indirect suggestion without command force. (A) てください leans toward instruction; (C) たほうがいい is more direct; (D) なさい is a command, none as gentle as たらどうですか.
2. (B) たらいい ── 「誰かに相談したらいいと思う (I think it'd be good to talk to someone)」= a gentle suggestion → たらいいと思う (expressing one's own advice).
3. (B) ── the nuance of たらどうですか: an indirect proposal/suggestion, with the gentle tone of "thinking of you, why not try ~?"; neither a command nor a prohibition.
4. (B) のに、たら？ ── 「明日締め切りが来るのに (though the deadline is tomorrow), 早く終わらせたら？ (why not finish soon? casual advice between friends)」= colloquial たら → たら？ (most natural between friends).
5. (B) たらいいのに ── 「もっと早く知っていたらいいのに (if only I'd known sooner)」= regret/a past wish → たらいいのに (regret over something that can't actually be realized).