くする・
Use this pattern when a person, action, or cause makes something different. It focuses on actively changing an affected item into a particular state, role, or category.
What changes, and who changes it?
The affected item is commonly marked with を. The person or cause making the change is the subject or is understood from context. The adjective or noun before the target pattern states the intended result.
Qualities, conditions, and categories
The same basic meaning works with an i-adjective, a na-adjective, or a noun.
Making something stop occurring
麻酔は痛みを感じなくする薬です。
An anesthetic is medicine that prevents pain from being felt.
Analyze感じなくする presents not feeling the pain as the resulting state.
Making a change versus becoming different
くする・にする focuses on a person or cause producing the change. By contrast, くなる・になる focuses on the thing that becomes different.
Do not confuse change with choosing
The same surface ending can also mean “choose.” In the example below, nothing is being transformed into tea; the speaker is simply selecting tea.
飲み物はお茶にします。
I'll have tea for my drink.
AnalyzeThis is the choice use, not the state-changing use taught here.
When the desired result is an action
Do not attach an affirmative dictionary-form verb directly to する to express a desired verbal result. Use the separate ようにする pattern for efforts, policies, or arrangements intended to make an action occur.
More examples
この写真をもう少し大きくします。
I'll make this photo a little bigger.
Analyze砂糖を少なくしてください。
Please use less sugar.
Analyze先生は説明を簡単にしました。
The teacher made the explanation simpler.
Analyzeこの部屋を禁煙にします。
We will make this a nonsmoking room.
Analyze夏の前に髪を短くしたいです。
I want to cut my hair short before summer.
Analyzeこのカーテンは部屋を暗くします。
These curtains make the room dark.
Analyze