する · suru verb (irregular)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | する | しない |
| Polite | します | しません |
| Past polite | しました | しませんでした |
| Past | した | しなかった |
| Te-form | して | しないで |
| Desire | したい | したくない |
| Potential | できる | できない |
| Passive | される | されない |
| Causative | させる | させない |
| Causative passive | させられる | させられない |
| Volitional | しよう | |
| Polite volitional | しましょう | |
| Imperative | しろ | するな |
| Conditional | すれば | しなければ |
| Tara conditional | したら | しなかったら |
The basic verb for doing an action. It is used with many object nouns such as 宿題, 仕事, 練習, and 旅行.
I do my homework before dinner.
make; cause to become; turn into a state
Used with adjectives or state nouns to mean making something a certain way, as in きれいにする, 静かにする, or 短くする.
I make the room clean.
Please make the sound a little quieter.
work as; serve as; act as
Used with role nouns to say what job or role someone performs: 先生をしている, 司会をする, 議長をする.
My older sister works as an elementary school teacher.
regard as; treat as; use as; value
Covers patterns such as AをBにする and AをBとする, where something is treated, regarded, used, or valued in a certain way. Also lists a related use for feeling a certain way about something; in modern Japanese this often appears in fixed-feeling expressions such as 大切にする.
I will use this box as a chair.
We regard this number as correct.
I value my family.
decide on; choose
Used as 〜にする when choosing from options or settling on a decision, especially in everyday conversation.
I’ll have curry for lunch.
suru verb (irregular), intransitive verb
In the pattern 〜がする, the sensed thing is marked with が: 匂いがする, 音がする, 味がする, 寒気がする.
A good smell is coming from the kitchen.
suru verb (irregular), intransitive verb
be in a state; have a condition; look
Describes a state, appearance, shape, or condition, often in 〜をしている patterns such as 変な形をしている.
This stone has a strange shape.
suru verb (irregular), intransitive verb
Used after an amount to state price or value. The item that costs the amount is normally marked with は or が.
This watch costs one hundred thousand yen.
suru verb (irregular), intransitive verb
Used with a time amount to mean that that much time passes, especially in forms like しばらくして, 一時間したら, and 二、三日すると.
After two or three days, the pain will subside.
suru verb (irregular), transitive verb
appoint to; make someone; raise to a position
In AをBにする, a person A is placed in a role, rank, or status B.
The company made her section chief.
suru verb (irregular), transitive verb
turn A into B; make A into B; exchange A for B
In AをBにする, A is changed into B or exchanged for B. It overlaps with the broader 'make into a state' use but focuses on conversion into another thing or category.
They turned an old warehouse into a café.
Before the trip, I exchanged yen for dollars.
make a noun into a verb; do as an action
A verbalizing suffix attached to many verbal nouns, especially Sino-Japanese nouns, as in 勉強する, 連絡する, and 旅行する.
Tomorrow I will study at home.
I’ll contact you when I arrive at the station.
auxiliary verb, suru verb (irregular)
make a humble verb
Auxiliary use after an お- or ご-prefixed verbal noun, as in ご連絡する and お知らせする. It humbly describes the speaker’s or in-group’s action toward someone else.
We will contact you later.
A staff member will guide you to the venue.
auxiliary verb, suru verb (irregular)
try to; attempt to; be about to
Auxiliary use in 〜うとする and 〜ようとする. It can mean making an attempt, or that something is just about to happen.
See also: とする
He tried to say something.
The sun is about to set.
I looked at the menu and decided on curry.
I turned down the volume of the music.
She was wearing a blue necklace.
They turned the old factory into an art museum.
There's a nice smell.
This stone has an odd shape.
This bag costs as much as fifty thousand yen.
I tried to get on the train.
する is the plain, neutral verb for 'to do', while なさる is its honorific form used for the actions of someone respected.
する is the everyday, neutral verb for 'to do', while 為す is a formal, literary word often used for accomplishing or committing significant acts.
する is the ordinary everyday verb for 'do,' while 成す in its 'do' sense is a much more formal or literary equivalent used in set phrases like なすべきことをなす.
為 is the classical Japanese form meaning 'to do', while する is its modern equivalent used in all contemporary speech and writing.
する is the neutral, all-purpose word for 'to do', while 致す is its humble form used to lower one's own actions when speaking respectfully to someone of higher status.
いたす is the humble form of する, used to lower the speaker's action in polite speech such as 失礼いたします.
なさる is the honorific form of する, used to respectfully describe another person's action.
する is the plain verb 'to do'; 申す replaces it in humble constructions like お願い申します to politely describe one's own actions.
する is the plain, neutral verb 'to do', while 仕る is its highly formal humble (謙譲語) counterpart used to lower oneself before the listener.
する is the plain verb for 'do', while 召す in its archaic 'do' sense is the honorific counterpart, now largely replaced by なさる.
する (to do) is an extremely common verb that shares the same reading as 掏る (to pickpocket) but has an entirely unrelated meaning.