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JLPT N3 · Time & sequence

たびに (tabi ni)

~たびに — “every time ~”

In short · Verb dictionary form or noun + の + たびに means “every time A happens, B also happens.” B is a reaction, feeling or change that occurs each time. It is used for repeated, regular occasions.
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Pattern

  • 動詞辞書形 + たびに dictionary form + たびに (見るたびに)
  • 名詞 + の + たびに noun + の + たびに (旅行のたびに)

Meaning and connection

たび means “occasion, time.” 見るたびに is “each time I see (it).” Attach it to the dictionary form of a verb, or to a noun with の: 春が来るたびに, 旅行のたびに.

What follows

The second part is usually something that arises on its own: a feeling (思い出す, 懐かしくなる), a wish, or a change. It is natural for these things to happen automatically each time.

Difference from ~と / いつも

~たびに stresses that the same thing repeats at each occasion. It is slightly formal and often used in writing. In casual talk, 見ると、いつも... is also common.

Examples

  • この写真(しゃしん)を見(み)るたびに、母(はは)を思(おも)い出(だ)す。

    Kono shashin o miru tabi ni, haha o omoidasu.

    Every time I see this photo, I remember my mother.

  • 春(はる)が来(く)るたびに、故郷(こきょう)の桜(さくら)を思(おも)い出(だ)す。

    Haru ga kuru tabi ni, kokyō no sakura o omoidasu.

    Every time spring comes, I remember the cherry blossoms of my hometown.

  • この曲(きょく)を聞(き)くたびに、学生時代(がくせいじだい)に戻(もど)りたくなる。

    Kono kyoku o kiku tabi ni, gakusei jidai ni modoritaku naru.

    Every time I hear this song, I want to go back to my school days.

Common mistakes

  • With a noun, you need の: 旅行のたびに, not 旅行たびに.
  • Do not use it for a one-time event. It needs a situation that repeats.

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