Expressing Attempts and Intentions in Japanese

When learning Japanese, you’ll often want to express that you try to do something or that you are about to do something.
That’s where the useful grammar pattern 〜ようとする comes in!

💡 Basic Meaning

〜ようとする means “to try to do something” or “to be about to do something.”
It expresses intention or attempt — but the action usually doesn’t succeed or hasn’t happened yet.

🧩 Formation

Use the volitional form (〜yoo / 〜oo) of a verb + とする.

Verb Type	Example Verb	Volitional Form	+ とする	Meaning
Group 1 (u-verbs)	見みる (to look)	見みよう	見みようとする	Try to look
Group 2 (ru-verbs)	食たべる (to eat)	食たべよう	食たべようとする	Try to eat
Irregular	する / 来くる	しよう / 来こよう	しようとする / 来こようとする	Try to do / Try to come

🗣 Example Sentences

1️⃣ ドアを開あけようとしましたが、開あきませんでした。
→ I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open.

2️⃣ 彼かれは何なにか言いおうとして、やめた。
→ He tried to say something but stopped.

3️⃣ 出でかけようとしたとき、雨あめが降ふり始はじめた。
→ Just when I was about to go out, it started to rain.

🕰 Subtle Meanings

1. Attempt

When the speaker tries to do something but doesn’t succeed.

日本語にほんごを話はなそうとしたけど、うまく話はなせなかった。
I tried to speak Japanese, but I couldn’t do it well.

2. Intention / About to

When the action is about to happen or in progress.

寝ねようとしたときに、電話でんわがかかってきた。
Just as I was about to sleep, the phone rang.

🚫 Negative Form: ～ようとしない

You can also say 〜ようとしない to express that someone has no intention of doing something.

子こどもが宿題しゅくだいをしようとしない。
The child doesn’t even try to do homework.

彼かれは謝あやまろうとしなかった。
He didn’t try to apologize.

📝 Common Patterns

Pattern	Meaning	Example
～ようとする	Try to / about to do	出でかけようとする
～ようとした	Tried to (past)	食たべようとした
～ようとしている	Is trying to / about to	泣なこうとしている
～ようとしない	Doesn’t even try	勉強べんきょうしようとしない

🌷 Summary

〜ようとする is a powerful and natural expression to talk about:

attempts and efforts,
actions you were about to do,
or things someone refuses to do.

It’s subtle, expressive, and used all the time in daily Japanese conversations — a must-know grammar point for JLPT N3 level and beyond!

✨ Example for practice:
Try to make your own sentence with 〜ようとする!
For example:

朝早あさはやく起おきようとしましたが、また寝ねてしまいました。
(I tried to wake up early, but I fell asleep again.)

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