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N4

Deciding to Do: ことにする

Use ことにする to describe a decision someone makes, including deciding not to do something.

Use verb plain form + ことにする for personal decisions.Use negative verb + ことにする to say someone decided not to do something.Recognize ことにする in narratives where a character reaches a choice.
Guided study

Decide on your own action

ことにする means that someone decides to do something. The decision usually belongs to the person in the sentence, not to a rule or outside organization.

毎朝日本語を読むことにしました。

I decided to read Japanese every morning.

読むことにしました reports a decision that has been made.

今日から電車で学校へ行くことにします。

Starting today, I’ve decided to go to school by train.

ことにします can announce a decision being made now.

今週は甘い物を食べないことにします。

This week, I’ve decided not to eat sweet things.

A negative plain form before ことにする means deciding not to do it.

Practice guides for this lesson

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