N5111/133

たほうがいい

V-たほうがいい

Meanings

  • It'd be better to
  • Should do
  • Ought to do

About this pattern

Explanation

Use たほうがいい to give advice or suggest that it’s better to do something. It conveys personal recommendation or common sense, and is softer than a direct command. The action is framed as the better choice under the current circumstances. You can use it with a plain verb in the た form (V-た) to indicate what would be best to do. In polite conversations, add です/ます (e.g., 〜したほうがいいです). You can also form the negative by saying V-たほうがいいではない/〜ないほうがいい when advising not to do something. Examples below illustrate natural usage in everyday situations.

Learn in context

Example sentences

迷っているなら、早く決めたほうがいい。

If you’re undecided, you’d better decide quickly.

今日は早く寝たほうがいいです。

It would be better to go to bed early today.

この薬は毎日飲んだほうがいい。

You should take this medicine every day.