Expressing Readiness in Japanese || Using ようにする & ようとする

Q: What is the difference between ようにする and ようとする?

ようにする is used to express an effort or intention to do something regularly or consistently, while ようとする indicates an attempt or effort to do something in the moment.

Q: Can ようにする be used for habits or routines?

Yes, ようにする is often used to express efforts to develop habits or routines. For example, 毎日、早く寝るようにしている。(I try to go to bed early every day).

Q: How is ようとする used to express a momentary attempt?

ようとする indicates an action someone is about to do or attempting to do but hasn’t succeeded yet. For example, ドアを開けようとしたが、開かなかった。(I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open).

Q: Can these structures be used in the negative form?

Yes, both can be negated. ようにしない indicates not trying to form a habit, while ようとしない means someone is not making any effort to do something. For example, 彼は宿題をしようとしない。(He’s not trying to do his homework).

Q: How do ようにする and ようとする differ from other intention expressions?

ようにする is more focused on consistent effort or practice, while ようとする highlights a specific attempt. Other forms like つもりです express a simple intention without the added nuance of effort or readiness.

Q: Can I book Japanese classes with LTL?

Yes! You can book online Japanese lessons on our platform Flexi Classes . If you’d prefer to study Japanese abroad, check out our immersion programs in Tokyo .

Home B1 Expressing readiness in Japanese

READINESS IN JAPANESE

In Japanese, expressing readiness or efforts to achieve a goal often involves the phrases ようにする and ようとする.

These structures help convey both habitual efforts and immediate attempts, adding nuance to how we describe actions and intentions.

HOW TO USE ようにする

～ようにする indicates your readiness to try to do something.

This expression is a combination of the auxiliary verb ようだ and する.

As ようだ is being linked to the verb する, it will take on its adverbial form, ように.

It emphasizes the effort that the speaker is going to make.
The grammar structure is very simple. You just need to add ようにする after the dictionary form of the verb.

PATTERN

Verb (dictionary form) + ようにする

Let’s see a few examples:

Japanese	Romaji	english
もっと運動するようにします。	Motto undou suru youni shimasu.	I will try to do more exercises.
もっと早く起きるようにします。	Motto hayaku okiru youni shimasu.	I will try to wake up earlier.
毎日3時間勉強するようにします。	Mainichi 3 jikan benkyou suru youni shimasu.	I will make sure to study for 3 hours every day.

View More Examples:

japanese	romaji	english
朝礼はできるだけ早く終わるようにします。	Chourei wa dekiru dake hayaku owaru youni shimasu.	I will make sure to finish up the morning briefing as fast as possible.
野菜をもっとたくさん食べるようにします。	Yasai wo motto takusan taberu youni shimasu.	I will try to eat more vegetables.
毎朝新聞を読むようにしています。	Maiasa shinbun wo yomu youni shite imasu.	I am trying to read the newspaper every morning.

NEGATIVE FORM

The same structure can be used with a negative verb, to express that something is actively being avoided.

ないようにする conveys the idea of “try not to ~” or “make sure not to do ~”.

PATTERN

Verb (dictionary form) + ようにする

Examples:

Japanese	Romaji	English
宿題を持っていくのを忘れないようにする。	Shukudai wo motte ikunowo wasurenai youni suru.	I will make sure not to forget to bring homework to the school.
今日から豚肉を食べないようにします。	Kyou kara buta niku wo tabenai youni shimasu.	I decided not to eat pork meat from today.
夜遅くまで起きないようにする。	Yoru osoku made okinai youni suru.	I will make sure not to stay up till late at night.

View More Examples:

japanese	romaji	english
学校を休まないようにする。	Gakko wo yasumanai youni suru.	I will try not to miss school.
ホテルではあまりうるさくしないようにしてください。	Hoteru dewa amari urusaku shinai youni shite kudasai.	We request you not to make much noise since this is the hotel.
健康のため太らないようにする。	Kenkou no tame hutoranai youni suru.	I will make sure not to get fat because I want to remain healthy.

HOW TO USE ようとする

You may use one more expression to express your readiness. That is ～ようとする.

It sounds very similar to ～ようにする. ようとする also means “try to” or “attempt to”.

It is used when the speaker is about to do something. It can also be used when the speaker is trying to do something.
But sometimes the nuance is that it was unsuccessful.

PATTERN

Verb (volitional form) よう + とする

Examples:

Japanese	Romaji	English
わたしたちのチームが達成しようとしている目標はこれだ。	Watashitachi no chiimu ga tassei shiyou to shiteiru mokuhyou wa kore da.	This is the goal that our team is trying to achieve.
出かけようとしたとき、突然雨が降ってきた。	Dekake you to shita toki, totsuzen ame ga hutte kita.	When I was just about to go out, the rain suddenly started.
電車の切符を買おうとしたら、財布を持っていくのを忘れていた。	Densha no kippu wo kaou to shitara, saihu wo motte iku nowo wasurete ita.	When I was about to buy a train ticket, I realized that I had forgotten to carry my wallet.

View More Examples:

japanese	romaji	english
寝ようとしたら、電話がかかってきた。	Neyou to shitara, denwa ga kakatte kita.	I got a phone call when I was trying to sleep.
田中さんは英語を勉強しようとしている。	Tanaka san wa eigo wo benkyou shiyou to shiteiru.	Mr. Tanaka is planning to learn English.
バスに乗ろうとした時に、携帯電話を家に忘れたことに気付いた。	Basu ni norou to shita toki ni, keitai denwa wo ie ni wasureta koto ni kizuita.	I realized that I had left my mobile phone at home when I was about to take the bus.

Learn Japanese with FlexiClasses

Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.

FAQs

What is the difference between ようにする and ようとする?

ようにする is used to express an effort or intention to do something regularly or consistently, while ようとする indicates an attempt or effort to do something in the moment.

Can ようにする be used for habits or routines?

Yes, ようにする is often used to express efforts to develop habits or routines.

For example, 毎日、早く寝るようにしている。(I try to go to bed early every day).

How is ようとする used to express a momentary attempt?

ようとする indicates an action someone is about to do or attempting to do but hasn’t succeeded yet.

For example, ドアを開けようとしたが、開かなかった。(I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open).

Can these structures be used in the negative form?

Yes, both can be negated. ようにしない indicates not trying to form a habit, while ようとしない means someone is not making any effort to do something.

For example, 彼は宿題をしようとしない。(He’s not trying to do his homework).

How do ようにする and ようとする differ from other intention expressions?

ようにする is more focused on consistent effort or practice, while ようとする highlights a specific attempt.

Other forms like つもりです express a simple intention without the added nuance of effort or readiness.