What Is the Difference Between 「ようにする」 and 「ことにする」? Explaining the Nuance of Effort and Decision with Example Sentences

When studying Japanese, you may come across sentences like these:

毎日日本語を勉強するようにしています。
I try to study Japanese every day.

毎日日本語を勉強することにしました。
I decided to study Japanese every day.

Both expressions seem to show the speaker’s will or intention, so it can be difficult to understand the difference between them.

However, 「ようにする」 and 「ことにする」 are used in clearly different ways.

「ようにする」 expresses the idea of consciously trying to continue something.
「ことにする」 expresses the idea of deciding something by yourself.

Once you understand this difference, your Japanese will sound much more natural.

「ようにする」 expresses conscious effort to continue something

「ようにする」 is used when you consciously try to do something or keep a certain state.

The important point is not just that you decide something once, but that you continue trying afterward.

Example sentences

毎朝、漢字を復習するようにしています。
I try to review kanji every morning.

夜はなるべくスマホを見すぎないようにしています。
At night, I try not to look at my smartphone too much.

忘れないようにメモするようにしました。
I decided to make a habit of taking notes so that I will not forget.

In these sentences, 「ようにする」 shows the feeling of “I am trying to do it” or “I am making an effort to keep doing it.”

It does not mean that the speaker can do it perfectly yet.

The key feeling is that the speaker is moving in that direction.

In other words, 「ようにする」 has a strong image of habit, continuation, and conscious effort.

「ことにする」 expresses making a decision by yourself

On the other hand, 「ことにする」 is used when the speaker decides to do something by their own will.

The main focus is the decision itself.

Example sentences

今日はタクシーで帰ることにします。
I will decide to go home by taxi today.

来月から日本語の授業を増やすことにしました。
I decided to increase my Japanese lessons from next month.

今年はJLPT N2を受けることにしました。
I decided to take the JLPT N2 this year.

In these sentences, the feeling of “I decided to do that” comes to the front.

「ことにする」 can be used for a one-time decision, and it can also be used when deciding a future plan or policy.

Let’s compare the two expressions

Look at the following two sentences.

毎日、日本語のニュースを読むことにしました。
I decided to read Japanese news every day.

毎日、日本語のニュースを読むようにしています。
I try to read Japanese news every day.

The first sentence focuses on the decision: “I decided to do it.”

The second sentence focuses on the continuing effort: “I am trying to keep doing it.”

So the difference can be summarized like this:

「ことにする」 means making a decision.
「ようにする」 means consciously trying to continue something.

They may look similar, but they are used in different situations.

A point that often confuses learners

Many learners feel that “deciding something” and “trying to continue something” are almost the same.

For example, look at these sentences.

野菜を食べることにしています。
I have decided to eat vegetables.

野菜を食べるようにしています。
I try to eat vegetables.

Both may seem possible, but when talking about a daily habit, the second sentence often sounds more natural.

That is because 「野菜を食べる」 is often used as a lifestyle habit or self-improvement action, so it matches the nuance of continuation and conscious effort in 「ようにする」.

On the other hand, the following sentence may sound a little unnatural in some contexts.

明日は早く帰るようにします。
I will try to go home early tomorrow.

If the speaker simply wants to say that they are deciding this now, the following sentence sounds more natural.

明日は早く帰ることにします。
I will decide to go home early tomorrow.

How to choose between them

When you are not sure which expression to use, think like this:

If you are deciding something now, use 「ことにする」.

If you are consciously trying to continue something, use 「ようにする」.

Just remembering this simple rule will make the difference much easier to understand.

Summary

「ようにする」 and 「ことにする」 both include the speaker’s will, but their central meanings are not the same.

「ようにする」 expresses habit, continuation, and ongoing effort.

「ことにする」 expresses making a decision by yourself.

Once you understand this difference, your speaking and writing will become more natural and accurate.

The more similar two expressions look, the more important it is to understand the small difference between them.

That is why organizing these subtle nuances one by one is one of the best ways to improve your Japanese.

If you want to learn these small differences in Japanese through clear example sentences and practice questions, please visit Rapid Japanese Training. It is designed to help you study not only grammar, but also vocabulary, reading, and listening in an efficient way.