Japanese - Habits

Lesson 34 of 168

A cozy morning scene of someone making kōhī while thinking about habits; Japanese text showing habit phrases.

Goal: Talk about routines, frequency, and small changes

Free Japanese lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! In this short lesson we'll notice and talk about everyday routines — the small habits that make your day. Listen, repeat, and try the mini-conversation to make these phrases feel natural.

Level A2: Practice useful phrases to describe habits and frequency (like “毎日___。” and “どのくらいの頻度で___か。”). We'll use polite, spoken Japanese to say what you usually do, how often, and what you're trying to change. This CEFR-aligned lesson focuses on real routines — Yak Yacker-approved!

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Use polite phrases to say what you usually do in the morning, on weekends, or these days.
  • Ask and answer about frequency (e.g. どのくらいの頻度で___か。).
  • Describe trying to make a new habit and sequences in routines.
Two friends in a park talking about weekend and daily routines in Japanese; friendly urban background.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

朝はたいてい___。

Asa wa taitei ___.

I usually ___ in the morning.

Meaning: I usually ___ in the morning.

When to use: Talk about what you normally do each morning; omit 私は.

朝はたいていコーヒーを飲みます。

Asa wa taitei kōhī o nomimasu.

I usually drink coffee in the morning.
朝はたいてい新聞を読みます。

Asa wa taitei shinbun o yomimasu.

I usually read the newspaper in the morning.

毎日___

Mainichi ___.

I ___ every day.

Meaning: I ___ every day.

When to use: Say how often you do an action by using a complete verb phrase after 毎日.

毎日日本語を勉強します。

Mainichi Nihongo o benkyō shimasu.

I study Japanese every day.
毎日歩きます

Mainichi arukimasu.

I walk every day.

どのくらいの頻度で___か。

Dono kurai no hindo de ___ ka.

How often do you ___?

Meaning: How often do you ___?

When to use: Ask about frequency; put a ます-form verb in the blank and end with か.

Tip: Make sure to use the ます-form (e.g., 運動します) in the blank; a dictionary form would sound odd here.

どのくらいの頻度で運動しますか。

Dono kurai no hindo de undō shimasu ka.

How often do you exercise?
どのくらいの頻度で映画を見ますか。

Dono kurai no hindo de eiga o mimasu ka.

How often do you watch movies?

___ことがありますか。

___ koto ga arimasu ka.

Do you ever ___?

Meaning: Do you ever ___?

When to use: Ask if someone has the experience or habit; use the dictionary form of a verb before ことがありますか。

Tip: Use the dictionary form (行く) before ことがありますか, not the ます-form.

海外へ行くことがありますか。

Kaigai e iku koto ga arimasu ka.

Do you ever go abroad?
夜遅くまで働くことがありますか。

Yoru osoku made hataraku koto ga arimasu ka.

Do you ever work until late at night?

ふだんはあまり___ません。

Fudan wa amari ___masen.

I don't usually ___.

Meaning: I don't usually ___.

When to use: Say you rarely do something; use the verb stem plus ません after あまり.

Tip: Remember the negative: あまり＋negative (飲みません), not あまり＋positive.

ふだんはあまりお酒を飲みません。

Fudan wa amari osake o nomimasen.

I don't usually drink alcohol.
ふだんはあまり買い物に行きません。

Fudan wa amari kaimono ni ikimasen.

I don't usually go shopping.

時々___

Tokidoki ___.

Sometimes I ___.

Meaning: Sometimes I ___.

When to use: Describe something you do occasionally; put a complete verb phrase after 時々。

時々映画に行きます。

Tokidoki eiga ni ikimasu.

Sometimes I go to the movies.
時々友だちとカフェに行きます。

Tokidoki tomodachi to kafe ni ikimasu.

Sometimes I go to a cafe with friends.

週末はたいてい___。

Shūmatsu wa taitei ___.

On weekends, I usually ___.

Meaning: On weekends, I usually ___.

When to use: Talk about your usual weekend activity by starting with 週末は。

週末はたいてい家で休みます。

Shūmatsu wa taitei ie de yasumimasu.

On weekends I usually rest at home.
週末はたいてい友だちに会います。

Shūmatsu wa taitei tomodachi ni aimasu.

On weekends I usually meet friends.

いつも___てから、___ます。

Itsumo ___ te kara, ___ masu.

I always ___ before I ___.

Meaning: I always ___ before I ___.

When to use: Describe the order of actions: put the first verb in て-form + から, then the second action in ます-form.

いつも歯をみがいてから、朝ごはんを食べます。

Itsumo ha o migaite kara, asagohan o tabemasu.

I always brush my teeth before eating breakfast.
いつもシャワーを浴びてから、仕事に行きます。

Itsumo shawā o abite kara, shigoto ni ikimasu.

I always take a shower before going to work.

もっと___ようにしています。

Motto ___ yō ni shite imasu.

I'm trying to ___ more.

Meaning: I'm trying to ___ more.

When to use: Say you are making an effort to change a habit; use the dictionary form in the blank.

Tip: Put the verb in the dictionary form (e.g., 運動する) before ようにしています, not the ます-form.

もっと運動するようにしています。

Motto undō suru yō ni shite imasu.

I'm trying to exercise more.
もっと早く寝るようにしています。

Motto hayaku neru yō ni shite imasu.

I'm trying to go to bed earlier.

日によります

Hi ni yorimasu.

It depends on the day.

Meaning: It depends on the day.

When to use: Use when your routine or plan changes from day to day.

週に何回行きますか。— 日によります。

Shū ni nankai ikimasu ka. — Hi ni yorimasu.

How many times a week do you go? — It depends on the day.
朝ごはんは？— 日によります。

Asagohan wa? — Hi ni yorimasu.

Breakfast? — It depends on the day.

___の後で、よく___をします。

___ no ato de, yoku ___ o shimasu.

I often ___ after ___.

Meaning: I often ___ after ___.

When to use: Say one action happens regularly after another (use の後で and をします).

夕食の後で、よく散歩をします。

Yūshoku no ato de, yoku sanpo o shimasu.

I often take a walk after dinner.
仕事の後で、よくジムに行きます。

Shigoto no ato de, yoku jimu ni ikimasu.

I often go to the gym after work.

最近はあまり___ません。

Saikin wa amari ___masen.

I rarely ___ these days.

Meaning: I rarely ___ these days.

When to use: Talk about a decreased habit recently; use a verb stem + ません after あまり.

最近はあまり映画を見ません。

Saikin wa amari eiga o mimasen.

I don't watch movies much these days.
最近はあまり外食しません。

Saikin wa amari gaishoku shimasen.

I don't eat out much these days.

夜はぜったいに___ません。

Yoru wa zettai ni ___masen.

I never ___ at night.

Meaning: I never ___ at night.

When to use: Use when something definitely doesn't happen at night; ぜったいに makes the negative strong.

夜はぜったいにジュースを飲みません。

Yoru wa zettai ni jūsu o nomimasen.

I never drink juice at night.
夜はぜったいに仕事をしません。

Yoru wa zettai ni shigoto o shimasen.

I never work at night.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Two friends ask about exercise and morning routines.

Anna and David sitting on a bench discussing how often they exercise and what they usually do in the morning, shown with Japanese phrases.

What do Anna and David talk about?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

どのくらいの頻度で運動しますか。

Dono kurai no hindo de undō shimasu ka.

How often do you exercise?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

毎日走ります。でも朝はたいていコーヒーを飲みます。

Mainichi hashirimasu. Demo asa wa taitei kōhī o nomimasu.

I run every day. But in the morning I usually drink coffee.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

週末はたいてい何をしますか。

Shūmatsu wa taitei nani o shimasu ka.

What do you usually do on weekends?

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

週末はたいてい友だちに会います。最近はあまり夜に出かけません。

Shūmatsu wa taitei tomodachi ni aimasu. Saikin wa amari yoru ni dekakemasen.

On weekends I usually meet friends. These days I don't go out at night much.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which Japanese sentence means 'I often take a walk after dinner.'?

How do you ask 'How often do you exercise?' in polite Japanese?

Which sentence means 'I rarely watch movies these days.'?

How do you say 'I'm trying to exercise more.'?

On weekends I usually rest at home. — Would you like to go together?

（友だちへ）週末はたいてい___。一緒に行きませんか？

As for morning habits, I usually drink coffee in the morning.

朝の習慣は人によりますが、私は朝はたいてい___。

Teacher: How often do you study Japanese? — Student: I study every day.

（先生）どのくらいの頻度で日本語を勉強しますか。—（学生）___。

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

朝はたいてい___。

Asa wa taitei ___.

I usually ___ in the morning.

Say this phrase out loud:

毎日___

Mainichi ___.

I ___ every day.

Say this phrase out loud:

どのくらいの頻度で___か。

Dono kurai no hindo de ___ ka.

How often do you ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ことがありますか。

___ koto ga arimasu ka.

Do you ever ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

ふだんはあまり___ません。

Fudan wa amari ___masen.

I don't usually ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

時々___

Tokidoki ___.

Sometimes I ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

週末はたいてい___。

Shūmatsu wa taitei ___.

On weekends, I usually ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

いつも___てから、___ます。

Itsumo ___ te kara, ___masu.

I always ___ before I ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

もっと___ようにしています。

Motto ___ yō ni shite imasu.

I'm trying to ___ more.

Say this phrase out loud:

日によります

Hi ni yorimasu.

It depends on the day.

Say this phrase out loud:

___の後で、よく___をします。

___ no ato de, yoku ___ o shimasu.

I often ___ after ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

最近はあまり___ません。

Saikin wa amari ___masen.

I rarely ___ these days.

Say this phrase out loud:

夜はぜったいに___ません。

Yoru wa zettai ni ___masen.

I never ___ at night.