I recently heard the form ~ようとする and learned that it also has the meaning of “to try to”.

Is there a difference
between using ようとする and ようにする?

REPLY

1. maggie says:

MARCH 12, 2018 AT 2:54 AM

Hi Chami!

Good question.

1) First the the verb form is different and not all the verb can be ようとする
How to form

verb (dictionary form） + ようにする

食べるようにする
するようにする
来るようにする
書くようにする
行くようにする
愛するようにする

V(よ)うとする is a volitional form

verb masu stem + (よ)うとする

食べようする
irregular
しようとする
来ようとする
書こうとする
行こうとする
愛そうとする

2) The difference of the meaning

Ex. 野菜を食べるようにする
= to make up one’s mind to eat vegetables.
Ex. 野菜を食べようとする。
= to be about to eat vegetables./ to be trying to eat vegetables.

So ようとする shows one’s intention to do something or to be about to do something.

彼が私のお菓子を取ろうとした。
= He tried to take my snack away.

家を出ようとしたら電話がかかってきた。
= When I was about to leave my house, I got a phone call.
 How to use とか ( = toka)

「マギー先生とかいう犬、知ってる？」

= Maggie Sensei toka iu inu shitteru?

= Do you know a dog called Maggie sensei or something?

Hi everyone!

Today’s guest teacher is Ella-sensei.

She is a one-year-old Norwegian Forest Cat.

According to her sister, Ella is a very cheerful kitten and is always running around the
house. She also loves sleeping and wakes up with 寝癖 ( = neguse) bed head.

How cute!

それでは、Ella 先生、よろしくお願いします！！

= Soredewa Ella Sensei yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

= OK, please start the lesson, Ella-Sensei!!

***************************

みなさん、はじめまして！Ella です。

= Minasan, hajimemashite! Ella desu.

= Nice to meet you, everyone! I’m Ella.

My sister told me to help Maggie Sensei today. But to be honest, I don’t know who she
is.

「マギー先生とかいう犬、知ってる？」
= Maggie Sensei toka iu inu shitteru?

= Do you know a dog called Maggie sensei or something?

Anyway, today I will teach you how to use とか ( = toka)

I will include some casual usages that you may not find in your textbooks.

How/When to use:

1) When you list (the same kind of) multiple things.

Basic structure:

A とか B とか

= A toka B toka

= A and/or B, etc. / Things like A and B/ Something like A and B

Note: A, B could be

→noun / verb (dictionary form) / adjective

Ex. お寿司とか天ぷらとかが出ます。

= Osushi toka tenpura toka ga demasu.

= They will serve you sushi, tenpura and so on.

Ex. 彼のアパートは、汚いとか寒いとか文句ばかり言っていた。

= Kare no appato wa, kitanai toka samui toka monku bakari itte ita.

= He kept complaining, saying things like that apartment was dirty or too cold and so on.

Ex. やるとかやらないとかは後から決めて下さい。

= Yaru toka yaranai toka wa ato kara kimete kudasai.

= You can decide whether you will do it or not and so on later.

Ex. 美味しいとかまずいとか言わないでね。
= Oishii toka mazui toka iwanai dene.

= Don’t criticize saying things like it’s delicious or bad.

Ex. 東京に行ったら原宿とかアメ横とかに行ってみたい。

= Tokyo ni ittara Harakujuku toka Ameyoko toka ni itte mitai.

= When I go visit Tokyo, I would like to go to the places like Harajuku or Ameryoko.

Ex. 駅の売店にはお寿司とか日本茶とかが売っています。

= Eki no baiten niwa osushi toka nihon cha toka ga utteimasu.

= They sell things like Sushi and Japanese tea at stalls in the station.

Ex. A: 「どんな音楽をいつも聴いているの？」

= Donna ongaku wo itsumo kiite iruno?

= What kind of music do you usually listen to?

B: 「J-Pop とかゲーム音楽とか聴いてるよ。」

= J-pop toka geimu ongaku toka kiiteruyo.

= I usually listen to the music such as J-pop, game music and etc.

Note: 聴いてるよ ( = kiiteruyo) ←Casual contraction of 聴いているよ ( = kiite iruyo)

Ex. アイスクリームとかケーキとかが食べたい。

= Aisukuriimu to ka keeki toka ga tabetai.

= I would love to eat sweet things such as ice cream or cake.

You sometimes just use one とか ( = toka) in conversation.

↓

Ex. アイスクリームとかケーキが食べたい。

= Aisukuriimu toka keeki ga tabetai.

= I want to eat something like ice cream or cake.

Ex. アイスクリームとか、食べたいな。(conversational)

= Aisukuriimu toka, tabetaina.

= I want to eat something like ice cream.

The difference between とか ( = toka) /と ( = to) / や ( = ya) / など ( = nado）/ た

り ( = tari)

This is one of the most frequently asked questions.

So let’s compare them.

と ( = to)

Ex. アイスクリームとケーキが食べたい。

= Aisukuriimu to keeki ga tabetai.

= I want to eat ice cream and cake.

The difference: The speaker wants two specific things.

Ice cream and cake. That’s it.

や ( = ya) / など ( = nado)

things like ~, A and/or B, etc.

Ex. アイスクリームやケーキが食べたい。

= Aisukuriimu ya keeki ga tabetai.

= I want to eat ice cream and cake, etc.

Ex. アイスクリームやケーキなどが食べたいです。

= Aisukuriimu ya keeki ga tabetai desu.

= I would like to eat something like ice cream or cake.

The meaning of や ( = ya), など ( = nado) and とか ( = toka) are the same but the
difference is:

(1) とか ( = toka) is more conversational than や ( = ya) or など ( = nado) .

(2) You don’t repeat や ( = ya) and など ( = nado) twice.

Ex. りんごやオレンジが好きです。

= Ringo ya orenji ga sukidesu.

You don’t say:

りんごやオレンジやが好きです。

= Ringo ya orenji ya ga sukidesu)

りんごなどオレンジなどが好きです。

= Rigo nado orenji nado ga suki desu.

→りんごやオレンジ(など) が好きです。

= Ringo ya orenji (nado) ga suki desu.

(3) While you use とか ( = toka) with verbs or adjective, you only や ( = ya) with nouns.

Ex. 1) わからない言葉があったら、辞書を引くとか先生に聞くとかすればいいのに。

= Wakaranai kotoba ga attara, jisho wo hiku toka sensei ni kiku toka sureba iinoni.

= If there is a word that you don’t know, you should just check the meaning in your
dictionary or ask your teacher.

You can’t say 引くや ( = hikuya) ・聞くや （ = kikuya)

 たり ( = tari)

*When you list multiple verbs, you can also use たり ( = tari)

Ex. 2) わからない言葉があったら辞書を引いたり先生に聞いたりすればいいのに。

= Wakaranai kotoba ga attara jisho wo hiitari sensei ni kiitari sureba iinoni.

Note: Ex.1) and 2) mean the same thing.

The difference:

*休みの日は散歩したり本を読んだりしています。

= Yasumi no hi wa sanpo shitari hon wo yondari shiteimasu.

= I spend my day-off going for a walk, reading a book, etc.

is more natural than

*休みの日は散歩（をする）とか本を読むとかしています。

= Yasumi no hi wa sanpo (wo suru) toka hon wo yomu toka shiteimasu.

and again とか ( = toka) is more casual/conversational.

I have a lesson on たり ( = tari) so if you want to learn more, go check the lesson.

How to use たり ( = tari)

2) When you quote what someone said.

S say(s)/ said things like ~

Ex. そういえば、彼はもうここには来ないとか言っていたなあ。(casual)

= Souieba, kare wa mou koko niwa konai toka itte itanaa.

= Speaking of which, he told me something like he wouldn’t come back here anymore.

Ex. 日本語はもう勉強したくないとか言わないでよ。(casual)
= Nihongo wa mou benkyou shitaku nai toka iwanai deyo.

= Don’t say things like you don’t want to study Japanese anymore.

Ex. もう彼女のことは愛してないとか言っちゃってるけど本当はまだ好きなんじゃな
い？(casual)

= Mou kanojo no koto wa aishite nai toka icchatterukedo hontou wa mada sukinan
janai?

= You say something like you don’t love her anymore but I bet you still like her.

Note: 言っちゃってる( = icchatteru) is a colloquial way to say 言っている( = itteiru.)

Sometimes you don’t quote the whole thing and just say,

Ex. とかなんとか言っちゃって、本当はまだ好きなんじゃないの？

= Toka nantoka icchatte, hontou wa mada sukinan janaino?

= That’s what you said but you still have feelings for her, don’t you?

3) When you are uncertain about something, you leave the sentence unfinished with と
か ( = toka) (colloquial)

You suggest plausible possibilities or reasons in a subtle way.

Ex. A : 「彼、遅いね。」

= Kare osoi ne.

= He is late, isn’t he?

B : 「寝坊したとか…」

= Nebou shita toka…

= Maybe he slept late or something.

C: 「事故に遭ったとか…」

= Jiko ni atta toka…

= Or he might have had an accident or something…

Ex. Ella、最近、嬉しそうだね。彼氏が出来たとか。

= Ella, saikin ureshisou dane. Kareshi ga dekita toka.

= Ella, you look happy lately. You got a boyfriend or something?

(It could be because you got a boyfriend or something?)

Ex. ちょっとやせたけど、どうしたの？まさか、恋をしているとか…。

= Chotto yaseta kedo, doushitano? Masaka, koi wo shiteiru toka…

= You look skinny. What’s going on? Don’t tell me, are you in love or something?

4) To avoid sounding assertive (colloquial) : ~ or something

This とか (=toka) doesn’t have any specific meaning but has functions as a way to
soften the tone of one’s speech in some cases.
By adding とか (=toka), you can express something not too directly.

Young people especially tend to use this kind of とか ( = toka).

E. 明日、暇？ = Ashita hima?

= Are you free tomorrow?

Ex. 明日とか暇？

= Ashita toka hima?

= Are you free tomorrow (or something)?

Note: By adding とか ( = toka), it gives less pressure to the listener.

(It doesn’t have to be tomorrow but are you sort of free tomorrow?)

If you go visit your friend’s house and you don’t see any guest slippers, instead of
asking,

スリッパないの？
= Surippa naino?

= Do you have slippers? / Don’t you have slippers?

You should ask:

スリッパとかないの？

= Surippa toka naino?

= Don’t you have slippers (or something)?

sounds a little softer.

Ex. 彼女とかいる？

= Kanojo toka iru?

= Do you have a girlfriend (or something)?

Ex. 試験勉強とかしてる？

= Shiken benkyou toka shiteiru?

= Are you studying for the exams (or something)?