放題
houdai
Doing as one pleases; uncontrolled
Describes doing something without restraint or limit, often with a nuance of indulgence or excess.
How to form it
Attaches to the ます-stem of a verb (e.g., 食べ放題) or directly to certain nouns (e.g., 言い放題). For verbs, remove ます from the polite form to get the stem.
What it means
放題 is a suffix that turns an action into an uncontrolled, unrestricted activity. It often appears in commercial contexts like all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-drink, but extends to negative behaviors like speaking rudely or acting selfishly. When used with verbs, it conveys a sense of doing something as much as one wants, often to excess. With nouns, it emphasizes the manner of the action, like 言い放題 meaning speaking without filter. In everyday speech, it can sound critical when describing others' behavior, but in advertising it is neutral and appealing.
Example sentences
このレストランは食べ放題だから、お腹いっぱい食べられるよ。
Kono resutoran wa tabehoudai dakara, onaka ippai taberareru yo.
This restaurant is all-you-can-eat, so you can eat until you're full.
彼は何でも言い放題で、周りの人が困っている。
Kare wa nan demo iihoudai de, mawari no hito ga komatte iru.
He says whatever he wants without restraint, and the people around him are troubled.
この温泉は入り放題で、一日中楽しめます。
Kono onsen wa hairihoudai de, ichinichijuu tanoshimemasu.
This hot spring offers unlimited entry, so you can enjoy it all day.
Don’t confuse it with
放題 vs. たい放題
放題 attaches to the ます-stem of a verb to mean 'unlimited' in a neutral sense. たい放題 attaches to the ます-stem and carries a stronger negative connotation, meaning 'doing as one pleases with bad consequences' (e.g., やりたい放題). Use 放題 for neutral or positive contexts, たい放題 for criticism.
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Neutral to slightly informal; common in spoken Japanese and advertising, but can also appear in writing. Not rude, but can sound critical when describing someone's bad behavior.
Next in the N1 path
90Questions
What does 放題 mean?
Doing as one pleases; uncontrolled. Describes doing something without restraint or limit, often with a nuance of indulgence or excess.
How do you form 放題?
Attaches to the ます-stem of a verb (e.g., 食べ放題) or directly to certain nouns (e.g., 言い放題). For verbs, remove ます from the polite form to get the stem.
Example of 放題 in a sentence
このレストランは食べ放題だから、お腹いっぱい食べられるよ。 — This restaurant is all-you-can-eat, so you can eat until you're full.
放題 vs. たい放題 — what is the difference?
放題 attaches to the ます-stem of a verb to mean 'unlimited' in a neutral sense. たい放題 attaches to the ます-stem and carries a stronger negative connotation, meaning 'doing as one pleases with bad consequences' (e.g., やりたい放題). Use 放題 for neutral or positive contexts, たい放題 for criticism.
What JLPT level is 放題?
JLPT N1 (advanced), number 89 of 243 in Nihoner's learning order for N1.
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