- JLPT N4
~ようとする
NikoJLPT 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: 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].
Why does "let's open と 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:
- JLPT N4: ～よう (I think I'll...)
- 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: 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.
😿 Construction Cat 😿
V よう ＋ とする
Another example:
今日１日ファスティングをしようとしましたが、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.
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:
出かけようとした時、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.
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時、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.
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!
Niko
