う・よう + とするTry to, Attempt to, To be about to

Verb[Volitional]としても(even if someone attempts to) can be contracted to Verb[Volitional] + たって/ったって。

Structure

Verb［おう］ + とする

Details

About Verb[volitional]とする

When combined with the auxiliary verb う (or よう), とする carries the meaning of 'to try to do (A)', or 'to be about to do (A)'. The case marking particle と in this expression highlights a 'result'.

To use おうとする, modify the (A) verb into its う or よう receiving form, and then add とする.

As う and よう mark volition (the express intent to do something), とする adds the nuance that the express intent has been decided, and all that remains is to 'do' the action. This translates quite closely to 'to endeavor to do' in English, where the past form 'endeavored to do' will suggest that the attempt was unsuccessful.

Caution

ようとする is also regularly used to indicate when one action interrupts another. In these cases, the nuance is not quite 'to have endeavored', but more '(A) was already underway, when (B)'. Again, it will just show that the (A) action was decided upon 100%, when something caused an unexpected change.

Antonyms

Examples

--:--

一度(いちど)に二(ふた)つのことをしようとするな。

Don't try to do two things at once.

ひよこは親(おや)のように飛(と)ぼうとしても、できなかった。

Even though the chick attempted to fly like its parents, it couldn't.

答(こた)えようとしたのに、隣(となり)の人(ひと)に遮(さえぎ)られた。

I tried to answer but the person next to me cut me off.

見(み)ようとしたわけではないのに、見(み)えてしまいました。

Even though I tried not to look, I inevitably saw it. (It's not like I tried to look)

私(わたし)は止(と)めようとしたのに、言(い)うことを聞(き)いてくれないんです。

I attempted to stop him/her, but he/she never listens to me.

Get more example sentences!
Premium users get access to 12 example sentences on all Grammar Points.
Try Bunpro

Self-Study Sentences

Study your own way!

Add sentences and study them alongside Bunpro sentences.

Try Bunpro

Online
- All uses of volitional form and よう explained
  BriefJapanese
- An in-depth explanation entirely in Japanese
  Nihongo Day by Day
- How to express volition
  Wasabi
- To attempt to do something
  Tae Kim
- verb[て]みる vs verb[volitional]とする
  StackExchange - Japanese

Offline
- [DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
  Page 246 <てみる>
- Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
  Page 168
Track Resources!
Bunpro tracks all of the resources you’ve visited, and offers relevant bookmarks of physical books to help with offline tracking.
Try Bunpro

Verb[volitional]とする – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (13 in total)

mrnoone

English translation:
try to・attempt to・to be about to

Structure:
Verb[ よう ] + とする

Explanation:
[An action/attempt that requires effort, targets direct goals ・ Past tense suggests failure or lack of knowledge about result]

Verb[よう]としても(even if someone attempts to) can be contracted to Verb[よう] + たって/ったって。

View on Bunpro
seanblue
I don’t think the alternate answers are valid.
mrnoone
Fixed

Sorry for that
seanblue
It was really not obvious from the translation that this needed to be in ても form. Now that I know the answer, the Japanese makes sense. But it’s hard to get this Japanese just from the English.
mrnoone
I

Thanks for informing us about the issue!

I fixed it so that there should be no confusion. What do you think?
seanblue
The “remember about conjugation” hint? Can’t say it would have helped. But I can’t think of a better wording for the English translation that would tell you to use ても form.
mrnoone
Also 何回も in color
jeffusan
Just wanted to say that I really like the note next to the caution icon:

Verb[よう]としても(even if someone attempts to) can be contracted to Verb[よう] + たって/ったって。

…as it explains how its composed in terms of other grammar (albeit briefly), as I had wrote about a while back in a feature request.

I’m hoping this means I can expect more in the future ?
Pep95
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I find the title of ～ようとする is a bit confusing at times.

Wouldn’t naming it “Verb[ volitional ] + とする” be much more fitting instead?
Pushindawood
@Pep95 Sounds much more fitting! I have updated the title of the grammar point to match your suggestion. Cheers!
bthnrs
What’s the real difference between this point and ようにする (n4, lesson 7)?
EbonyMidget
The general answer from Stackexchange and HiNative seems to be that ようにする follows the second definition on Bunpro “to make sure that”, whereas ようとする is something you’re going to try to do. Perhaps it’d help to think about the N5 point にする to remember the difference.
FredKore
As I understand it, ようにする is usually attached to habits or larger end goals that you are trying to achieve. ようとする is attached to some effort that you are struggling to do.

ジムに行くようにする。I’m trying to go to the gym. (I’m trying to make it a regular habit, but I just started.)
ジムに行こうとする。I’m trying to go to the gym. (…right now, as we speak, but the wind and rain and traffic is making it impossible!)
casual
I don’t understand this test sentence:

ひよこは親のように飛ぼうとしても、できなかった。
Even though the chick attempted to fly like its parents, it couldn’t.

Neither Bunpro’s item, nor any of the linked resources explain when Verb[Volitional]としても would be used instead of Verb[Volitional]とする and what the difference is.

A warning note just briefly mentions it as (even if someone attempts to). This sounds like it would be used about hypothetical situations that haven’t happened yet.

In this sentence the situation already happened, the chick already tried to fly like parents and failed.

It sounds to me like 飛ぼうとしたが would be correct for a situation that already happened, but it is marked incorrect.