にする / にきめる

にする / にきめる Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Phrase

Essential Meaning: To decide on / To make it X

Construction: 

• Noun + にする / に決きめる
  • E.g. 寿司すしにする [Decide on sushi]
  • E.g. アパートに決きめる [Decide an an apartment]

Notes:

• にする expresses the act of deciding on something relatively insignificant (e.g. what to eat, where to go, etc.). For significant or momentous decisions (e.g. deciding to quit one’s job), に決きめる is typically used instead.
  • E.g. 私わたしはステーキにします。[I’ll have steak.] にする indicates that this decision is not particularly important.
  • E.g. *私わたしはステーキに決きめます。[I’ve made the momentous decision to have steak.] This sentence is grammatically correct, but it is generally strange to use 決きめる when making such an inconsequential decision as choosing what to eat.
  • E.g. 私わたしは仕事しごとをやめることに決きめました。[I decided to quit my job.] に決きめる indicates that this decision is quite important, and the past tense indicates that the decision was made previously; however, it does not necessarily mean that the act has been carried through yet.

• Because にする conveys the idea of deciding on something, that thing (i.e. noun or noun phrase) generally precedes にする. In some cases, a noun + particle may precede にする.
  • E.g. 今度こんどの旅行りょこうはニューヨークまでにします。[For my next trip, I’ve decided to go as far as New York.]

• In the non-past tense, にする indicates that a decision has just been made on the spot; the decision is more or less spontaneous. In the past tense, にする indicates that the decision was made in the past, but it is ambiguous whether or not the action has been carried out yet.
  • E.g. 岡田おくださんはアメリカの車くるまにしました。[Okuda-san decided to buy an American car.] In this example, it’s clear that Okuda-san previously made the decision to buy an American car, but it is unclear whether or not he has gone through with the purchase yet.
  • E.g. 私わたしはチキン南蛮なんばんにします。[At a restaurant: I’ve decided that I’m going to have chicken nanban.] In this example にする is non-past, indicating that the decision is somewhat spontaneous.

Example Sentences:

私わたしはこのアパートにする。[I’ve decided on this apartment.]

A: あなたは何なににしますか。B: 私わたしはステーキにします。[A: What have you decided on? B: I’ll have the steak.]

私わたしは仕事しごとをやめることに決きめました。[I decided to quit my job.]

WILD Examples:

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