780 - ~ようとする

JLPT N4: ~ようとする (just when [I was] about to...; try to...)

The word "try" is fairly versatile.

It can carry the nuance of testing something out: "Let's try that new restaurant across the street."

Or it can carry the nuance of attempting to accomplish some kind of action: "I'm trying to lose weight."

Japanese expressions that overlap with the concept of "trying" in English are versatile, too... though in varying ways.

For the sense of trying something out — like a new item on a menu, for instance — we can use ~てみる, which we saw in an earlier N4 lesson: [NDL #616] - JLPT N4: ~てみる.

When talking about trying (hard) to accomplish something, however, you should use ~ようとする.

Like this:


小さい子供がドアを開けようとしていますが、重くて開けられません。
ちいさい こども が ドア を あけようとしています が、 おもくて あけられません。
A small child is trying to open the door, but it’s too heavy for him [her].
Literally: “small + child + が + door + を + let’s open + と + is doing + が (=but), + heavy (and) + cannot open.”

Why does "let's open is doing" mean "is trying to open"...?

That, my friend, is one of the mysteries of the Japanese language.

I suppose it does kind of make sense, though, when we consider that ~ようcan be used when saying "I think I'll (VERB)," which we saw in these lessons:
- [NDL #775] - JLPT N4: ~よう (I think I'll...)
- [NDL #779] - JLPT N4: ~ようと思う(~ようとおもう)《I think I'll...》

"I think I'll open と is doing" → "is trying to open"

By the way, we talked about both ~てみる and ~ようとする in one of our earliest NDLs: [NDL #57] - Try Doing VS Try to Do.


Here's another sentence in which ~ようとする is being used to mean "to try..."


アリがドーナツのかけらを一生懸命持ち上げようとしています
アリ が ドーナツ の かけら を いっしょうけんめい もちあげようとしています。
An ant is trying really hard to carry away a piece of a donut.
Literally: “ant + が + donut + の + fragment / (broken-off) piece + を + very hard / with all one’s might + let’s pick up + と + is doing.”




😿 Construction Cat 😿

V ようとする

Another example:

今日1日ファスティングをようとしましたが、我慢できずに食べてしまいました。
きょう いちにち ファスティング を しようとしました が、 がまん できず に たべて しまいました。
I’d been trying to fast all day today, but I couldn’t endure it, and I ended up eating something.
Literally: “today + one day + fasting + を + let’s do + と + did + が (=but), + patience / endurance / perseverance + cannot do + に + ended up eating.”




Not quite finished, yo.

~ようとする has another meaning, as well.

In some sentences, ~ようとする will mean "just when (I was) about to," as in this sentence:

出かけようとした、雪が降り始めた。
でかけようとした とき、 ゆき が ふりはじめた。
Just when I was about to step out, it started snowing.
Literally: “let’s go out / let’s set out + と + did + time / when, + snow + が + started to fall.”



When this is the meaning of ~ようとする, you'll find that it often (1) has する in the plain past tense (=した) and (2) is followed by the word 時 (とき // time; when).

"let's go out [step out] と did when" → "just when I was about to go out [step out]"

Here's another example of this:


会計をたのもうとした、財布を忘れたことに気が付いた。
かいけい を たのもうとした とき、 さいふ を わすれた こと に きがついた。
Just when I was about to ask for the check, I realized that I’d forgotten my wallet.
Literally: “check / bill + を + let’s request + と + did + time / when, + wallet + を + forgot + こと + に + realized.”


Both of the uses of ~ようとする that we saw in this lesson are common and useful.

You (I hope):


覚えようとしています
おぼえようとしています!
I'm trying to learn [memorize] them!
Literally: "let's memorize + と + am doing!"






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