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N4

Advice with ほうがいい

Learn how ほうがいい gives practical advice and how affirmative and negative advice are formed naturally.

Use ほうがいい to give advice in everyday Japanese.Form natural affirmative and negative advice patterns.Distinguish friendly advice from stronger obligation expressions.
Guided study

Core idea

〜ほうがいい means 'it would be better to...' and is used for advice. It sounds practical and personal, not like a strict rule.

疲れているなら、今日は早く寝たほうがいいです。

If you're tired, it would be better to go to bed early today.

Condition + ほうがいい gives friendly practical advice.

その薬は飲まないほうがいいですよ。

You'd better not take that medicine.

Negative advice usually uses ないほうがいい.

Practice guides for this lesson

Use these hub pages to connect this lesson with related reading practice and grammar paths.