Components

Grammar detail: verb volitional form + とする

verb volitional form + とする  try to do
93 words
My current mastery of this grammar point:
LOG IN to view grammar mastery data
Grammar games:
GRAMMAR MATCH
SENTENCE BUILDER
BOOST
verb volitional form + とする
means
to try to do ~
or
to be about to do ~
かれ
その
もんだい
問題
かいけつ
解決
しよう
とした
しっぱい
失敗
した

He tried to solve the problem, only to fail.
かれ
どうしても
じぶん
自分
おも
どお
しよする
He will have his own way.
わたし
かのじょ
彼女
けようとした

I tried to avoid looking at her eyes.
かれ
かね
かえ
そう
とするたびにいらない
われる

Whenever I try to give the money back to him, he says "I don't need it".

The difference between ようとする and てみる

This form means try in the sense of 'attempt to do something in order to achieve a goal'. This is in contrast to てみる, which means 'to try something out (to see if you like it or are good at it)'.
Since the senses are different, they can actually be combined - to try out trying to do something! For example:
ひだりて
左手
いてみようとした

I had a go at writing with my left hand.
Please LOG IN for free flashcards

Kanji used in this grammar

ヒ   かれ he   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
モン   と question   と to ask   とん wholesale   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ダイ    topic   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
カイ   ゲ   と to untie, solve, resolve   とける to come undone, disappear   とかす to melt, dissolve   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ケツ   きめる to decide   きまる to be decided   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シツ   うしな to lose   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ハイ   defeated   やぶれる to be defeated, frustrated   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ジ   シ   みずか self   
ブン   ブ   フン   わける to divide, to distinguish   わかる to understand   わかれる to be divided   わかつ to share, distribute   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シ   おも to think   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ツ   ツウ   とお to pass through   とお to let pass   かよ to commute   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
ボク   モク   eye   ま-    め    
ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ヒ   さける to avoid   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
キン   コン   かね gold; money   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ヘン   かえ to return, to come back   かえ to return (something)   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   い to say   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
サ   ひだり left   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シュ   hand   て    た-    
ショ   か to write   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
Problem with this grammar? Question or comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language. To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard. You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly. For an overview, take the tour.
×