“〜tomosureba・tomosuruto”: Tend To, Liable To 〜 [JLPT N1]

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

「ともすれば感情的になりがちだ」 — pointing out a (negative) tendency that easily occurs.

「ともすれば感情的になりがちだ」 — apt to ～, all too easily ～

Everyone has the flaw of “drifting one way before you know it” — get busy and forget your health, get tired and want to quit. To point out this “easily-arising (usually negative) tendency,” Japanese uses the adverb 「ともすれば／ともすると」 — 「ともすれば感情的になりがちだ (all too easily apt to get emotional).」 「ともすれば・ともすると」 = apt to ～, all too easily ～, at the slightest lapse ～. This guide also distinguishes the near-synonyms 〈がちだ〉〈きらいがある〉.

Core: apt to ～, all too easily (falling into some negative tendency)

「ともすれば／ともすると」 is an adverb meaning “apt to ～, all too easily ～, at the slightest lapse ～” — pointing out an easily-arising, usually negative tendency:

• 一人暮らしだと、ともすれば生活が不規則になりがちだ (living alone, one is all too easily apt to fall into an irregular life).
• ともすると、人は易きに流れる (at the slightest lapse, people drift toward the easy path).
• 真面目な人ほど、ともすれば抱え込みがちだ (the more serious a person, the more apt they are to take everything on themselves).

Feel: it first raises a situation that easily makes one “drift some way before realizing it,” then points out that “usually negative tendency.” The core is “at the slightest lapse, apt to, all too easily (fall into) ～,” with a cautioning, alerting tone. It's an adverb (sentence-initial or mid-sentence), often paired with tendency expressions like 「〜がちだ／〜やすい,」 leaning written, formal. In English: apt to ～, all too easily ～, at the slightest lapse ～. (「ともすれば」「ともすると」 are synonymous and interchangeable; the more literary form is 「ややもすれば／ややもすると.」)

Attachment & forms

Examples in use

• 長く続けていると、ともすれば初心を忘れてしまう。(Keep at it long enough, and one is apt to forget the original intent.)
• この仕事は、ともするとマンネリに陥りがちだ。(This job is apt to fall into a rut all too easily.)
• 熱中するあまり、ともすれば周りが見えなくなる。(So absorbed that one all too easily loses sight of the surroundings.)
• データばかり見ていると、ともすると現場の実感を見失いやすい。(Looking only at data, one all too easily loses the real feel of the field.)
• 便利さを求めるあまり、ともすれば大切なものを失いかねない。(Chasing convenience, one could, at the slightest lapse, even lose what matters.)

⚠️ Easy traps to avoid

① The follow-up is mostly a tendency expression like 「がちだ／やすい,」 and mostly ‘negative.' 「ともすれば／ともすると」 points out an “easily-arising tendency,” so the follow-up very often pairs with tendency／possibility expressions like 「〜がちだ (apt to ～, all too easily ～)」「〜やすい (easily ～)」「〜かねない (could even ～)」: ともすれば忘れがち, ともすると誤解されやすい, ともすれば事故になりかねない. And that tendency is mostly negative (forgetting, slackening, falling in, losing one's way) — it carries a cautioning, alerting tone. Test: to point out “easily (unconsciously) falling into some negative tendency” → ともすれば ＋ がちだ／やすい／かねない.

② It's an ‘adverb,' not a conjunctive particle — sentence-initial or mid-sentence. 「ともすれば／ともすると」 is an adverb modifying the whole sentence, placed sentence-initially or mid-sentence (after the subject), used on its own: ともすれば、人は楽な道を選ぶ (apt as they are, people choose the easy road). Unlike 「と／ば／たら,」 it doesn't attach after a verb as a conjunction. Don't write 「〜ともすれば」 attached after a word as a conjunctive particle. Test: it's a whole-sentence adverb (apt to, all too easily), placed sentence-initially／mid-sentence, not after a verb ending.

③ A different division of labor from 「〜がちだ」 — 「がちだ」 is the core tendency word, 「ともすれば」 the intensifying adverb. The two often appear together but play different roles. 「〜がちだ」 is the core tendency expression (after a verb ます-stem or a noun), itself meaning “easily ～, apt to ～”: 忘れがち (apt to forget), 病気がち (sickly). 「ともすれば」 is an adverb placed in front to intensify and point out the “unconscious, slightest-lapse” quality of that tendency, and the two pair up most naturally: ともすれば忘れがち (all too easily apt to forget). Difference: 「がちだ」 is the tendency itself (usable alone); 「ともすれば」 is the intensifying adverb (placed in front to highlight the tendency, often with がちだ). Test: to just say “easily ～” → がちだ／やすい; to further stress “at the slightest lapse, apt to (fall into that tendency)” → add ともすれば in front.

④ The difference from 「きらいがある」 — feel, target. Both express “having a tendency to ～,” but the flavor differs. 「ともすれば」 is an adverb pointing out the “at the slightest lapse, all too easily (falling into) ～” tendency, mostly paired with がちだ／やすい, with an alerting feel. 「きらいがある」 is a pattern (〜きらいがある) meaning “having a (bad) habit, tendency of ～,” more often used to critique some inherent, not-quite-approved trait of a person or thing: 彼は物事を大げさに言うきらいがある (he has a habit of overstating things, see 〈きらいがある〉). Difference: 「ともすれば」 = adverb, all too easily (falling into some tendency) (with がちだ); 「きらいがある」 = pattern, having a (bad) habit, tendency of ～ (critiquing an inherent trait). Test: to say “at the slightest lapse, all too easily ～” → ともすれば (adverb); to critique “(someone／something) has a habit, tendency of ～” → きらいがある.

🔄 Nuance & comparison: ともすれば／がちだ／きらいがある／やすい

💡 How to remember this

「ともすれば／ともすると」 is a very handy adverb — it's made for pointing out the “at the slightest lapse, all too easily (drifting some negative way)” tendency, with a cautioning, alerting feel. 「ともすれば感情的になりがち」「ともすると初心を忘れる」 suit commentary and self-reminders well. Three points: ① the follow-up mostly pairs with 「がちだ／やすい／かねない,」 the tendency mostly negative; ② it's an adverb (sentence-initial or mid-sentence, not a conjunctive particle); ③ it partners with 「がちだ」 (がちだ is the tendency itself, ともすれば the intensifying adverb). 「ともすれば」「ともすると」 are synonymous and interchangeable; more literary is 「ややもすれば.」 To write that alerting “people, at the slightest lapse, tend to ～,” this word fits best.

❓ Questions you might have

Q: What's the difference between 「ともすれば」 and 「ともすると」?

Almost none — they're interchangeable. 「ともすれば」 and 「ともすると」 are synonymous adverbs, both meaning “apt to ～, all too easily ～, at the slightest lapse ～,” pointing out an easily-arising (mostly negative) tendency. In meaning, usage, and feel they are nearly identical, and in most cases directly interchangeable: ともすれば感情的になりがちだ ＝ ともすると感情的になりがちだ (all too easily apt to get emotional — the two are the same). If pressed for the finest difference, some feel 「ともすると」 is a touch more colloquial and 「ともすれば」 a touch more written, but the difference is very small and needn't be forced in practice. There's also a more literary, harder synonym 「ややもすれば／ややもすると,」 same meaning, more archaic and formal, mostly in essays. Test: to say “apt to easily ～” → either ともすれば or ともすると (synonymous); for more literary formality → ややもすれば.

Q: In 「ともすれば感情的になりがちだ,」 aren't 「ともすれば」 and 「がちだ」 redundant?

Not redundant — the two are a complementary pairing that reinforce each other, not filler. 「がちだ」 is the core tendency expression — 「感情的になりがちだ」 = “apt to get emotional, all too easily get emotional,” itself carrying the “easily ～” tendency. 「ともすれば」 is an adverb placed in front, whose role is to intensify and highlight the “at the slightest lapse, unconsciously (it happens)” feel within that tendency, making the “easily” flavor stronger and more alerting. So 「ともすれば感情的になりがちだ」 = “(one), at the slightest lapse, all too easily gets emotional” — 「ともすれば」 supplies the “unconsciously, off-guard” tone, 「がちだ」 supplies the “easily ～ tendency,” and layered they make the tone fuller, more alerting, a very natural fixed pairing in Japanese, not redundant. Test: 「ともすれば〜がちだ」 is a common and natural pairing (adverb ＋ tendency word) — use them together with confidence; splitting to use just one is also fine (ともすれば〜／〜がちだ), but together the tone is fullest.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「忙しいと、___健康を後回しにしがちだ。」（tend to / are apt to）

(A) ともすれば　(B) かろうじて　(C) いやがおうにも　(D) あえて

Q2. 「ともすれば」とよく一緒に来るのは?

(A) がちだ／やすい　(B) ください　(C) なさい　(D) てはいけない

Q3. 「ともすると初心を忘れる」の意味は?

(A) Tend to forget your original intention if you're not careful (a tendency)

(B) Would never forget

(C) Already forgot

(D) Want to forget

Q4. 「ともすれば」の語感は?

(A) At the slightest thing / often tend to (usually a negative tendency)

(B) Absolutely never

(C) A command

(D) Gratitude

Q5. 用法が自然なのは?

(A) ともすると怠けがちだ。　(B) ともすれば必ず成功する (doesn't fit the tendency meaning)。

(C) ともすればを食べる。　(D) ともすればだ高い。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) ともすれば ── Tend to put health on the back burner.

2. (A) ── Often paired with がちだ/やすい.

3. (A) ── Forget your original intention if not careful.

4. (A) ── At the slightest thing / often tend to (negative tendency).

5. (A) ── 「ともすると怠けがちだ」 is correct.