～たり～たりする
List a few example activities
You’ll be able to list a few representative activities without claiming the list is complete.
旅行で写真を撮ったり、おいしい物を食べたりしました。
ryokou de shashin o tottari, oishii mono o tabetari shimashita.
What do you think this sentence means?
On my trip, I did things like take photos and eat good food.
Give representative examples of activities
Use ～たり～たりする to list a few example actions without implying that the list is complete. It often means “do things like A and B.”
週末は映画を見たり、本を読んだりします。
shuumatsu wa eiga o mitari, hon o yondari shimasu.
On weekends I do things like watch movies and read books.
Add り to the た-form
Put each example verb in the た-form and add り. Finish the list with する or a conjugated form of する.
休みの日は寝たり、ゲームをしたりします。
yasumi no hi wa netari, geemu o shitari shimasu.
On days off I do things like sleep and play games.
旅行で写真を撮ったり、お土産を買ったりしました。
ryokou de shashin o tottari, omiyage o kattari shimashita.
On the trip I took photos, bought souvenirs, and so on.
夏は海で泳いだり、山に登ったりします。
natsu wa umi de oyoidari, yama ni nobottari shimasu.
In summer I do things like swim in the sea and climb mountains.
～て、～ vs ～たり～たり
て lists actions in the order they happened, and the list is complete. たり gives a couple of examples in no particular order, implying there were others.
たり, examples
昨日は買い物に行ったり、映画を見たりしました。
kinou wa kaimono ni ittari, eiga o mitari shimashita.
Yesterday I did things like go shopping and watch a movie.
Two examples out of many, order unimportant.
て, sequence
昨日は買い物に行って、映画を見ました。
kinou wa kaimono ni itte, eiga o mimashita.
Yesterday I went shopping and then watched a movie.
First one, then the other, and that is all.
週末は公園を散歩したり、本を読んだりします。
shuumatsu wa kouen o sanpo shitari, hon o yondari shimasu.
On weekends, I do things like take walks in the park and read books.
夜は音楽を聞いたり、テレビを見たりします。
yoru wa ongaku o kiitari, terebi o mitari shimasu.
At night, I do things like listen to music and watch TV.
日曜日は部屋を掃除したり、洗濯したりします。
nichiyoubi wa heya o souji shitari, sentaku shitari shimasu.
On Sundays, I do things like clean my room and do laundry.
6 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.