The Meaning of tabitabi [度々] In Japanese

度々
たびたび
Romaji: tabitabi N4

What does 度々 mean?

Translation and Meaning

often, repeatedly

Definition

What does 度々 mean? It means often or repeatedly, used to describe actions or events that occur many times, emphasizing repetition over time in a natural, speaker-friendly way.

Type

adverb (副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Repetition emphasis: describes events that happen many times across a period.
  • Used in written and formal contexts to indicate frequency without numeric detail.
  • Tone can range from neutral to emphatic, depending on surrounding language and context.

Etymology

etimologia: From 度 (degree, measure) with the iteration mark 々, the reading tabitabi emerges to signal repetition of the concept of degree or occurrence.

Composition

  • 度: degree, measure, extent
  • 々: repetition marker indicating the preceding character is repeated
  • Combined, 度々 conveys repeating degrees or occurrences, i.e., many times over a period

Usage

Used to describe repeated actions or occurrences; functions as an adverb or modifier for clauses and verbs; common in written Japanese and formal speech. Examples: 度々のご連絡, 度々遅刻する, 度々繰り返される
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a gauge (度) being turned over and over again (々) to measure many repetitions; the image helps remember ‘often/repeatedly’.

Variations

  • しばしば (shibashiba) — often
  • 頻繁に (hinpan ni) — frequently
  • 再三 (saisan) — repeatedly, several times

Example Phrases

  • 度々コンビニで同じ商品を買ってしまう。
    Tabitabi konbini de onaji shouhin o katte shimau.
    I keep buying the same item at the convenience store.
    Lista:
    • 度々 (tabitabi) – frequently
    • コンビニ (konbini) – convenience store
    • で (de) – at
    • 同じ (onaji) – same
    • 商品 (shouhin) – item
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 買ってしまう (katte shimau) – end up buying
    「度々」 means ‘frequently’; here it prefixes the verb phrase to describe repeated action.
度々