〜がちだ

Meaning

～がちだ expresses a tendency or frequency of something happening, often referring to negative or undesirable events. It indicates that something is likely to happen repeatedly or habitually. This pattern can attach to verb stems (in ます form) or nouns, and often appears in the form ～がちな when modifying nouns.

Formation

Examples

1. この病気は子供にありがちだ。
   This disease is common/easy for children to catch.

2. 森下さんは手術をしてから体が弱くて、仕事を休みがちだ。
   Since Morishita had surgery, his body has been weak, and he tends to take time off work frequently.

3. この路線は朝のラッシュ時には遅れがちだ。
   This train line tends to be delayed during morning rush hour.

Summary

• Attach to ます-stem of verbs or directly to nouns (e.g., 休みがちだ, 遅れがちだ)
• Emphasizes repeated or habitual occurrence, typically of negative events or conditions
• Use ～がちな/の form when modifying nouns (e.g., ありがちな病気)