habitual action

[spank]

I am looking for a way to express in Japanese habitual and regular action.

'I enjoy doing such and such..."
"I regularly do such and such..."
"I prefer doing such and such..."
without using 楽、好


ex. "I prefer sleeping in absolute darkness."
"I enjoy shopping at the mall."
"I regularly have guests over on Sundays."

Can you guys help me out?
thanks.

[SaigoNoBan]

This is what me ole grammar book says...

habit = Dictionary form + こと　に　して　いる

So my try:
日曜日に　お客様を　招く　こと　に　して　います。
私は、暗がりの中で寝ることにしています。

Also, I remeber from Tae Kim's lessons that Noun +　に　する　means to favor it (like at restaurants, "I'll go with the fries" ).

Hope this helps Now I gotta go reply to coco for her fantastic explanations!

[Harisenbon]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by habitual actions. Or why you don't want to use 好き. Is there a certain Japanese phrase you are looking for? One doesn't spring to mind.

to say 〜ことにする means to decide to do something
〜ことになる means that something was decided (not by you)

x. "I prefer sleeping in absolute darkness."
"I enjoy shopping at the mall."
"I regularly have guests over on Sundays."

真っ暗な部屋で寝るのが好きです。
モールで買い物するのが好きです。
毎週日曜日、友達が遊びに来ます。

[spank]

Thank you both for your replies and to Harisen for clarifying koto ni suru/naru.

I just thought that there was another way of saying that something (an event or action) was consistently done because it was prefered or expected. I'm not sure how this is even expressed in English, but I thought this existed in Japanese. Maybe I'm just cracked out again?:o

I'll continue searching for the answer, if there is one.

[Isao]

The "koto ga suki" is correct. But that guy need "such and such...". So he would use in with the "tari suru" structure.

V ta + RI + V ta + RI + ... + V ta + RI SURU + KOTO GA SUKI (DA).

Rei:

Manga wo yondari, ongaku wo kiitari suru koto ga suki nan da yo.
-> I like doing things such as reading comics and listening to music, you know !
(Hope my translation is ok. )

[Isao]

Additionally, maybe it sound a bit odd. But the sample sentence spank-san wrote "I enjoy shopping at the mall." can be SIMPLY translated as:

Shumi ha kaimono (suru koto) da. (Lit: My habit is shopping).

or

Kaimono shitain da. (Lit: I like to go shopping).

Wow, what'd you say ?B)B)B)

[skrhgh3b]

「〜ている」 also describes habitual actions. for example:

「毎日『となりのサインフェルド』の再放送(さいほうそう)を見ています。」
"I watch reruns of Seinfeld every day."

[Harisenbon]

Isao wrote:
Shumi ha kaimono (suru koto) da. (Lit: My habit is shopping).

Although the meaning is similar, it is not the same thing, I don't beleive. Also, 趣味 is hobby, not habit.

Isao wrote:
Kaimono shitain da. (Lit: I like to go shopping).

I think you are saying "I want to go shopping"
You also don't need the んだ

[spank]

ohhh....i was probably alluding to the "hou ga ii" phrase, but i'm not sure.

it can be used to show personal preference.

今日電車で行く方がいい。
It would be better to go by train today.

ハワイの方がいい。
I'd rather go to Hawaii.

Its not really habitual action, but definately preferred without using
楽 or 好. I think this is what i meant all along.

[AJBryant]

Also, 趣味 is hobby, not habit.

You beat me to it.


Tony