～たほうがいい – It’s Better to Do (Advice in Japanese)

If you’re giving friendly advice or just stating what someone should do, the expression ～たほうがいい is your go-to phrase in Japanese. It's a polite way to suggest something without sounding bossy.

Let’s break it down and learn how to use it.

What Does ～たほうがいい Mean?

～たほうがいい means:

“You’d better do…”
“It’s better if you…”
“You should…”

It’s used when giving advice, sharing opinions, or suggesting what someone ought to do. It’s softer and more indirect than commands... and way more polite.

Use it for:

Health tips
Travel advice
Recommendations
Light social pressure (“You really should try this ramen…” 🍜)

How to Use ～たほうがいい

Just take the past tense (～た form) of a verb and add ほうがいい.

のむ → のんだ → のんだほうがいい
いく → いった → いったほうがいい
たべる → たべた → たべたほうがいい

Examples

もっとやさいをたべたほうがいいよ。
You should eat more vegetables. 🥬
あしたははやくねたほうがいい。
You’d better sleep early tomorrow.
びょういんにいったほうがいいと思う。
I think you should go to the hospital. 😧

Negative Advice: ～ないほうがいい

Want to say “You shouldn’t…”? Just use the ない form of the verb.

おさけはあまりのまないほうがいい。
You shouldn't drink alcohol too much.
このチョコ、よるにたべないほうがいいよ。
You probably shouldn’t eat this chocolate at night.

Try It Yourself

Give these a try:

“You should study Japanese.”
→ 日本語をべんきょうしたほうがいい。
“You shouldn’t go out today.”
→ きょうはでかけないほうがいい。
“You should bring an umbrella.”
→ かさをもっていったほうがいい。
“You shouldn’t eat too much cake.”
→ ケーキをたべすぎないほうがいい。

Note on Giving Advice in Japanese

In Japanese culture, people usually avoid being too direct. That’s why expressions like ～たほうがいい feel more like friendly advice than commands. Even when you’re trying to help, it’s better to soften your tone. It just goes in line with the rest of the "don't bother other people" (迷惑をかけない) culture.

This is why you’ll often hear: