Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 8: 9/22

事(こと)になっているTo be expected to, To be scheduled to

Structure

Verb［る］+ ことになっている
Verb［ない］+ ことになっている

Details

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About ことになっている

ことになっている is an alternation of ことになる, a grammar point showing that something has been decided by someone other than the speaker. It is a combination of the nominalizing use of こと (for creating noun-phrases), and the ている-form of the う-Verb なる 'to become'. The primary difference between ことになる and ことになっている is that the latter focuses more on that something is 'expected to (A)', or 'scheduled to (A)'. In other words, it is 'becoming that (A)', but has not actually happened yet.

This structure is often used after either the る or ない versions of verbs, in order to highlight an action which is either 'not expected/scheduled' to occur, or 'expected/scheduled' to occur. Let's take a look at the 'scheduled to' meaning first.

When indicating that something is 'expected to (A)', this is an example of ている's use for expressing habitual or ongoing actions/states that reoccur under some specific set conditions.

Related

Examples

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    この寮(りょう)では、起床(きしょう)時間(じかん)は６(ろく)時(じ)ということになっている。

    In this dorm, it is expected that you are up by six o'clock.

    来年(らいねん)も契約(けいやく)を更新(こうしん)することになっています。

    It is expected that the contract will be renewed next year as well.

    来週(らいしゅう)あの工場(こうじょう)を見学(けんがく)することになっています。

    We are expected to have a field trip at that factory next week.

    原稿(げんこう)は、郵送(ゆうそう)ではなく、メールで送(おく)ることになっている。

    The manuscript is expected to be sent by email, not by post.

    会議(かいぎ)は東京(とうきょう)にある官庁(かんちょう)で行(おこな)うことになっている。

    The meeting is scheduled to take place in a government office in Tokyo.

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ことになっている – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (4 in total)

  • Kert

    Kert

    There’s an example with “いろいろと引ひかれるので”
    Could someone explain why is there a と? Is it a part of いろいろ？

  • ljoekelsoey

    ljoekelsoey

    いろいろと is the adverb form of いろいろ
    Do you have the full sentence there?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    @Kert

    Like @ljoekelsoey says, いろいろと is an adverb form of いろいろ.
    The と is the quotation particle, but with its meaning extended/abstracted to expressions that are not simple quotations of speech.

    It is common with words that mimic sound (there are lots of those in Japanese!) - onomatopoeia.
    Example:
    どんどんと
    As you can see, the と can be often omitted! (except when the “sound” is not repeated)

    The と function has been also extended to words that depict bodily feelings, psychological states that are not actual sounds at all, basically something even more abstract. So you can find also words like:
    すっとする (to feel refreshed)

    I hope it helps a bit
    Cheer...

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