Structure
Phrase + 思うように + (Outcome)
Phrase + 思うような + Noun
Details
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Standard
使用域
一般
About 思うように
思うように is a common sentence pattern in Japanese that is used for illustrating when something either does or does not happen in the way that one had thought. This phrase may be interpreted as 'as one hopes', 'as desired', or 'as one thought'. 思うように is simply a combination of the う-Verb 思う and the conjunctive form of the auxiliary verb ようだ, ように.
Typical sentence structures that use this pattern will start with an (A) phrase highlighting the 'expectation', be followed by 思うように, then finished with a (B) phrase indicating the outcome. When (B) is a simple noun, 様な will be used instead.
Typical sentence structures that use this pattern will start with an (A) phrase highlighting the 'expectation', be followed by 思うように, then finished with a (B) phrase indicating the outcome. When (B) is a simple noun, 様な will be used instead.
- 最近仕事が思うように行かなくてストレスが溜まってきてるんだよ。Recently, work has not been going as well as I hoped, so I am starting to get stressed out.
- 毎日漢字を練習しているが思うように上達しない。I am practicing kanji every day, but I am not making as much progress as I thought.
- 事故に遭ってから指が思うように動かなくなった。Since the accident, my fingers have become unable to move as I had thought.
Examples
ケーキ屋みたいなお菓子が思うように作れなかった。
Making sweets like they do at the pastry shop didn't go as I had hoped it would.
生け花を綺麗にすることが難しくて、思うようにできなかった。
Doing flower arrangement was difficult and I wasn't able to do it as I had hoped.
勉強が思うようにできず、日本語が上達しなかった。
Unable to study as I had hoped, my Japanese hasn't improved.
思うように回転が掛けられるように、何度も卓球の練習をしました。
I practiced table tennis many times to be able to put a spin on the ball as I desired.
この車は思うように加速しないからイライラする。
It is irritating that this car doesn't accelerate like I hoped it would.
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Online
思うように+Negative-ない
LearnJapanese [video]
思うように
E-Japanese
All uses of ように listed and explained
BriefJapanese
Offline
Tobira
Page 219
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 229
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思うように – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (2 in total)
FredKore
What’s the difference between 思うように and 思ったように?
(They seem to be used interchangeably but there has to be a nuance difference.)Fuga
Hey @FredKore !
We apologize for the late response.
思うように and 思ったように doesn’t have a difference in nuance, and they can be used interchangeably!
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