がちだ
Tend to / be prone to / frequently (undesirable tendency)
Expresses that something happens often and usually carries a negative or undesirable nuance.
Meaning
Expresses that something happens often and usually carries a negative or undesirable nuance.
Formation
Explanation
「がちだ」 expresses a frequent tendency, usually negative.
Key nuance:
Indicates something happens more often than ideal
Often used for mistakes, bad habits, problems
Suggests mild criticism or self-reflection
Often appears in written explanations and formal descriptions
It does NOT simply mean “often.”
It implies undesirable frequency.
Important Nuance
がちだ =
✔ Repeated tendency
✔ Usually negative
✔ Sometimes due to weak control or circumstance
It is commonly used in:
Health descriptions
Behavioral tendencies
Problem analysis
JLPT reading passages