When you start building longer sentences in Japanese, you quickly want to say things like "I study while listening to music" or "On weekends I watch movies, read books, and so on." Two patterns cover these ideas: ～ながら and ～たり～たりする. Both describe more than one action, but they paint very different pictures. Mixing them up is a classic N5 to N4 mistake, so let's separate them clearly.
ながら: two actions at the same time
ながら means "while doing ~". It joins two actions that happen at the same time, performed by the same person.
How to form it
Take the verb's stem (the ます-form without ます) and add ながら.
- 聞く → 聞きながら
- 食べる → 食べながら
- 歩く → 歩きながら
- する → しながら
If you are unsure how to find the stem for each verb group, the guide to Ichidan vs Godan verbs walks through it.
Examples
- 音楽を聞きながら勉強します。 — I study while listening to music.
- 朝ごはんを食べながらニュースを見ます。 — I watch the news while eating breakfast.
- 歩きながら電話しないでください。 — Please don't talk on the phone while walking.
The main action comes last
The verb at the end of the sentence is the main action. The ながら part is the background action. Compare:
- 歌を歌いながら料理をします。 — I cook while singing. (cooking is the main action)
- 料理をしながら歌を歌います。 — I sing while cooking. (singing is the main action)
The meaning shifts depending on word order, so choose carefully.
Two rules to remember
- Same subject. ながら only works when one person does both actions. If two different people are involved, use another structure.
- Continuous actions. Both actions should be things that can continue over time. A one-moment action like 死ぬ or 着く does not fit.
～たり～たりする: examples and alternating actions
～たり～たりする lists a few representative actions out of several possible ones, or shows actions that alternate. English often renders it as "do things like A and B."
How to form it
Make the plain past form (the た-form) and add り.
- 見る → 見た → 見たり
- 読む → 読んだ → 読んだり
- 行く → 行った → 行ったり
If the た-form is still shaky, review the rules in Japanese て-form conjugation made simple, because た-form follows the same patterns as て-form.
Examples
- 週末は映画を見たり、本を読んだりします。 — On weekends I do things like watch movies and read books.
- 昨日は友達と話したり、買い物をしたりしました。 — Yesterday I did things like chat with friends and go shopping.
- 休みの日は、寝たり、散歩したりします。 — On days off, I sleep, take walks, and so on.
Two ways it is used
1. Giving examples. You are not listing everything. The pattern hints that there are other activities too.
2. Showing alternation or repetition. It can describe actions going back and forth.
- 子どもは泣いたり笑ったりしています。 — The child is crying and laughing by turns.
- 天気が良くなったり悪くなったりします。 — The weather gets better, then worse, and so on.
The ending is always する
The final verb is する, and it carries the tense. It is not a stray detail: forgetting it is one of the most common errors.
- ✗ 映画を見たり、本を読んだり。
- ○ 映画を見たり、本を読んだりします。
For a past meaning, put the tense on する: 見たり、読んだりしました。 The earlier verbs always stay in the たり form.
Side-by-side comparison
| ながら | ～たり～たりする | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | two actions at the same time | examples, or actions that alternate |
| Subject | must be the same person | can be different people |
| Attached to | verb stem | plain past (た-form) + り |
| Main idea | one action is background | two or more actions are equal |
| Ending | any verb | する |
Ask yourself one question: are these actions happening together, or are they just a sample of what I do? Together means ながら. A sample means たり.
- 音楽を聞きながら走ります。 — I run while listening to music. (together)
- 音楽を聞いたり、走ったりします。 — I listen to music, I run, and so on. (a list of things I do)
Common mistakes
Mistake 1: using ながら for different subjects.
- ✗ 私が料理を作りながら、母は掃除をしています。
- ○ 私が料理を作っている間、母は掃除をしています。 — While I am cooking, my mother is cleaning. (use ～ている間 or ～間 for different subjects)
Mistake 2: listing only one verb with たり. The pattern normally uses two or more. If you only have one example, it sounds unfinished.
Mistake 3: mixing forms. Do not write 見たり、読みます. Keep the pattern consistent: 見たり、読んだりします。
Mistake 4: forgetting that ながら uses the stem. Saying 聞くながら or 聞いてながら is wrong. Always 聞きながら.
A short word on ながら at higher levels
At N3 and above, you will see ながら used with other word types, meaning "although" or "even though." For example, 残念ながら (unfortunately) is a very common set expression, and 知っていながら (even though I knew) shows the contrasting use. When you see ながら attached to something other than a verb stem, or in a sentence where "while" makes no sense, consider the "although" meaning.
Practice tips
- Write three personal sentences for each pattern. Use your own life: what you do while commuting, what you do on weekends.
- Turn a list into a たり sentence. Take three activities and combine them with たり～たりします.
- Check the subject. Before using ながら, confirm that one person does both actions.
- Say it aloud. These patterns are short, and natural rhythm helps you remember them.
Both patterns are part of the core grammar you will meet from N5 and N4, and our JLPT N5 grammar checklist shows where they sit among the other points to master. If you are moving up from N5, the N4 study plan helps you decide what to tackle next. For a bigger picture of how everything fits together, see the JLPT preparation guide.
JLPT Ready organizes grammar by chapter, gives each item a plain-language explanation, and links to practice questions that test it, with AI explanations for every question so you see why an answer works. You can start with N5 for free and try these patterns in context: create your free account.
For official information about the exam itself, always check the JLPT website at https://www.jlpt.jp/e/.