〜につけ: Whenever / Every Time (Same Feeling, Every Occasion)
The same reaction, every time the trigger fires
につけ marks a recurring situation that dependably brings the same thought or feeling — the trigger can vary, but the response is consistent.
パリで撮った妻の写真を見るにつけ、あの時の楽しかった旅行を思い出す。
パリで とった つまの しゃしんを みるにつけ、あの ときの たのしかった りょこうを おもいだす。
Every time I see the photo of my wife taken in Paris, I remember how fun that trip was.
Seeing the photo (trigger) reliably brings back the memory (reaction).
やったんは桜の花を見るにつけ、もちと花見に行った日を思い出す。
やったんは さくらの はなを みるにつけ、もちと はなみに いった ひを おもいだす。
Whenever Yattan sees cherry blossoms, he remembers the day he went blossom-viewing with Mochi.
Single trigger, or a paired AにつけBにつけ
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | Vにつけ | 見るにつけ |
| Paired opposite verbs/adjectives | AにつけBにつけ | 嬉しいにつけ悲しいにつけ |
| Fixed idiom | 何かにつけ (in every respect) | 何かにつけ、彼は私の人生に影響を与えた。 |
学生時代を思い出すにつけ、あの頃の友人が懐かしくなる。
がくせいじだいを おもいだすにつけ、あのころの ゆうじんが なつかしくなる。
Every time I recall my school days, I miss the friends from back then.
につけ vs. たびに
たびに also means "every time," but it works with any repeated event and stays neutral — 学校に行くたびに ("every time I go to school") doesn't require an emotional payoff, and it can't form the paired AたびにBたびに shape. につけ specifically frames a recurring emotional or reflective response, and only につけ naturally pairs two contrasting triggers (うれしいにつけ悲しいにつけ) to mean "on every kind of occasion."
The short version
- 〜につけ = "whenever / every time [trigger], the same [feeling/thought] follows"
- Attaches to: the dictionary form of a verb, often paired as AにつけBにつけ
- Nuance/register: implies a reliable emotional or reflective reaction, usually followed by 思い出す/感じる-type verbs
- Don't confuse with: たびに (neutral "every time," no emotional-reaction requirement, no paired form)
Practice it
Choose につけ where a recurring trigger reliably brings the same feeling or memory.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
パリで撮った妻の写真を見る＿＿＿、あの時の楽しかった旅行を思い出す。
Where 〜につけ fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜に行く · N5 — 〜に行く/来る/帰る says you go, come, or return somewhere to do something. Learn the ます-stem + に pattern, suru-nouns like 買い物に行く, and how to mark the place.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜につれて — につれて links two changes that happen together: as one thing progresses, the other progresses along with it (収入が増すにつれて物欲も大きくなる). It marks a gradual, parallel change, not a single cause-and-effect moment.
- 〜にて — にて is the formal, written equivalent of で, marking location, time, or means (パーティーの席上にて、コミックマーケットにて). It's used in announcements, formal writing, and set classical phrases like 〜にあらず.
- 〜にわたって — 〜にわたって attaches to a range of time, distance, or scope to mean 'throughout' or 'spanning' — 広い地域にわたって (throughout a wide area). It emphasizes that something continued or extended across the entire range, not just a point within it.
- 〜のももっともだ — 〜のももっともだ follows a reason to mean 'it's only natural' or 'no wonder' — 約束を破られたのだから、怒るのももっともだ (given the broken promise, it's only natural to be angry). It expresses reasoned understanding, not just sympathy.
- 〜のもとで — 〜のもとで attaches to a noun to mean 'under', 'with', or 'in the environment/authority of' — 先生のもとで学ぶ (study under a teacher). It frames an influence, guidance, or condition that something happens within.
- 〜抜きで — 〜抜きで attaches to a noun to mean 'leaving out', 'skipping', or 'without' — 冗談抜きで (joking aside, seriously). It signals that something normally present is deliberately omitted from what follows.