〜ほうがいい

JLPT N5 Japanese self-study　·　~10 min　·　It would be better to ~ / better not to ~

'You'd better see a doctor.' 'It's better not to smoke.' ほうがいい is the essential pattern for giving and receiving advice in Japanese.

What you'll learn

• 〜たほうがいい: it would be better to do ~ (positive advice)
• 〜ないほうがいい: it would be better not to do ~ (negative advice)
• 〜たほうがいいと思います: softer/indirect advice

How to study “〜ほうがいい”

“〜ほうがいい” (It would be better to ~ / better not to ~) is a JLPT N5 chapter of our free Japanese self-study course, about 10 min. You learn by doing — flashcard drills and fill-in-the-blank quizzes graded on the spot — completely free, with no sign-up and no ad wall. Once it clicks, read the matching in-depth explainer over in Grammar.