JLPT N4: にする (decide on; go with; will have)

You and your senpai are sitting at a trendy café in Jiyugaoka. You just had a nice little dinner together, and now you’re looking at the dessert menu. Because of course you’re getting dessert.

Your senpai asks you:

デザートは何にする？
デザート　は　なに　にする？
What are you gonna get for dessert?
Literally: “dessert + は + what + に + do?”

Of the selection of desserts on the menu, you decide that you’re gonna go with the tiramisu.

Accordingly, you say…

わたしはティラミスにします。
わたし　は　ティラミス　にします。
I’m gonna get the tiramisu.
Literally: “I + は + tiramisu + に + do.”

When we are presented with an array of options and we choose one of them, we can say that we “decide on it” or “go with it."

In Japanese, though, they say “it にする.”

If you hadn’t already guessed this, “it” will be a NOUN.

Thus:

NOUN ＋ にする
decide on NOUN; go with NOUN; will have NOUN

I like this grammar point. It’s straightforward, relatively easy to understand, andーmost importantlyーit’s useful.

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You’re at an electronics store looking for a TV.

Of your many options, the salesperson points out a TV near him and says:

こちらのテレビはNetflixもみられますよ。
こちら　の　テレビ　は　ネットフリックス　も　みられます　よ。
You can also watch Netflix on this TV.
Literally: “this + の + TV + は + Netflix + も + can watch + よ.”

This will make it even easier for you to binge-watch full seasons of shows in a single day!

Accordingly, you want to say “I’ll get that one, then,” “I’ll go with that one, then,” “I’ve decided on that one, then.”

How would you say that?

Hint #1: “then” will be じゃあ.

Hint #2: “that” will be それ.

Answer:
じゃあ、それにします。
じゃあ、　それ　にします。
I’ll get that one, then.
Literally: “then, + that + に + do.”

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にする isn’t only for deciding what kinds of products that you want to buy.

You can use it any time you’re making a selection from a variety of choices.

For example, in our next sentence the speaker is a teacher who chooses the “option” of ending the class early… because a typhoon’s about to hit Tokyo!

台風が近づいているので、今日の授業はここまでにします。
たいふう　が　ちかづいている　ので、　きょう　の　じゅぎょう　は　ここ　まで　にします。
There’s a typhoon coming, so we’ll end today’s class here.
Literally: “typhoon + が + is approaching + ので, + today + の + class / lecture + は + here + until + に + do.”

Wait a second.

まで isn't a NOUN. It's a particle. What gives?!

Well, in this case you can just think of まで as being bundled together with the particle に. So maybe I should have put all of までにします into bold text.

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Last one:

今度犬を飼うときは、小さい犬にする。
こんど　いぬ　を　かう　とき　は、　ちいさい　いぬ　にする。
Next time I get a dog, I’m gonna get a small one.
Literally: “this time / next time + dog + を + have (a pet) + time + は, + small + dog + に + do.”

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That’s all for this one.

Like I said, this is a useful grammatical construction, so it’s worth memorizing. In particular, the language we saw in our first dialogue is particularly useful.

Hope you enjoyed this lesson. ^_^

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