N2 Limits, Extent, and Range

~放題ほうだい: meaning, usage and examples

~放題ほうだい means: as much as one wants / to one's heart's content / -free.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. このホテルでは、朝食ちょうしょくが食たべ放題ほうだいです。

   At this hotel, you can eat breakfast to your heart's content.

2. 親おやの留守中るすちゅう、子供こどもたちはやりたい放題ほうだいだった。

   While the parents were away, the children did whatever they wanted.

3. 空あき家やの庭にわは、草くさが伸のび放題ほうだいになっている。

   The yard of the empty house is overgrown with weeds.

4. このプランなら、毎月まいつき決きまった料金りょうきんでデータが使つかい放題ほうだいです。

   With this plan, you get unlimited data for a fixed monthly fee.

When to use it

Two uses. First, as much as you want, with no limit: 食たべ放題ほうだい (all-you-can-eat), 飲のみ放題ほうだい, 使つかい放題ほうだい. Second, things being left to get out of control: 「庭にわは草くさが伸のび放題ほうだいだ」. Also used for behavior: 言いいたい放題ほうだい (say whatever you like). With たい, it means doing whatever one wants without restraint.

Nuance

Casual to neutral, very common in daily life and advertising. The "no limit" meaning is positive in service names. The "left uncontrolled" meaning is negative and critical: 荒あれ放題ほうだい, やりたい放題ほうだい, わがまま放題ほうだい.

Compare

まくる stresses doing something a lot, actively: 食たべまくる (eat like crazy). 放題ほうだい stresses freedom with no limit or control: 食たべ放題ほうだい (eat as much as you want). だけ means "as much as" a person chooses or can: 好すきなだけ食たべてください, while 放題ほうだい is a fixed suffix with no limit at all.

Tip: Learn the set words: 食たべ放題ほうだい, 飲のみ放題ほうだい, 使つかい放題ほうだい, 言いいたい放題ほうだい, やりたい放題ほうだい, 荒あれ放題ほうだい, 伸のび放題ほうだい. Restaurant signs with 放題ほうだい always mean "unlimited."