Understanding する
The verb する is one of the most fundamental and versatile verbs in Japanese. It primarily means "to do" or "to perform" an action. It is used with nouns to turn them into verbs, such as 宿題 (homework) + する = 宿題をする (to do homework).
Common Uses
- Action verb: Used to express doing an activity or task.
- Decision making: Often used in expressions like ～ことにする to indicate deciding to do something.
- Habitual actions: Describes regular or repeated actions.
Collocations and Patterns
- ～をする: Attach a noun to する to express "to do [noun]" (e.g., 勉強をする - to study).
- ～ことにする: To decide to do something.
- ～てみることにする: To decide to try doing something.
Usage Notes
する is informal to formal depending on context and can be combined with polite forms (します). It is essential for learners to recognize する as a helper verb that creates verbs from nouns and to understand its role in decision expressions. Avoid confusing する with other verbs that express doing but have more specific meanings.