What Did They Want to Say? 「えてして」の自然な使い方

Sometimes a student says something that is not quite natural in Japanese.

When that happens, I try to think:

“What did they want to say?”

In a recent lesson, my student tried to use the word 「えてして」.

「えてして」 is a real Japanese expression, but it is a little formal and is used more often in writing than in everyday conversation.

What did the student want to say?

The student said:

はい、けど大きい町よりも小さい町にえてしてです。

From the context, what they probably wanted to express was:

はい、でも、大きい町より小さい町のほうが一般的です。
Yes, but it is more common in smaller towns than in big cities.

Or, in simpler Japanese:

はい、でも、大きい町より小さい町のほうがよくあります。
Yes, but it happens more often in smaller towns.

So, what does 「えてして」 mean?

「えてして」 means something like “often,” “tend to,” or “as is often the case.”

However, it has a somewhat written or formal feeling, so it is not usually the first expression we would choose in everyday conversation.

For example:

人はえてして自分に都合のいいことだけを覚えているものです。
People tend to remember only the things that are convenient for them.

A small correction can make a big difference

When I correct Japanese, I don’t want to simply say, “This is wrong.”

I want to understand what the learner was trying to communicate and help them find an expression that matches that meaning naturally.

Sometimes, a small change is all it takes to make Japanese sound much more natural. 🌷