Meaning & Usage
โจ Basic Meaning
“So that,” “in order to,” “try to,” “like/as if.”
๐ฏ Primary Function
To indicate the purpose, goal, or desired outcome of an action, especially when that outcome is a state or potential ability. It is also used for conveying advice or established rules.
๐ Grammar Structure
Verb (Dictionary Form / Potential Form) + ใใใซ
i-adjective + ใฎ + ใใใซ (to express similarity/manner, e.g., ๅฏใๆฅใฎใใใซ)
na-adjective + ใช + ใฎ + ใใใซ (to express similarity/manner, e.g., ้ใใชๆใฎใใใซ)
Verb ใชใ-form + ใใใซ
๐ญ Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal instructions (V-ใ/V-ใชใ + ใใใซ) or statements of policy.
Informal Situations
Used casually when giving advice or stating a personal goal.
Written Language
Common in manuals, official announcements, and personal writing to express goals or rules.
Spoken Language
Very common in spoken Japanese for giving instructions, expressing hope, and describing habits.
๐ก Common Applications
Expressing a Purpose or Goal (Non-Volitional)
Used to state a goal, especially one involving a change in ability or state (often with potential forms). The resulting state is the focus, not the immediate action.
Example: ๆฅๆฌ่ช่ฝๅ่ฉฆ้จใซๅๆ ผใงใใใใใซใๆฏๆฅๅพฉ็ฟใใพใใ
Giving Soft Advice, Requests, or Instructions
Used as a polite but firm way to request or advise someone to establish a certain habit or action. Often used with ใใ ใใ or a simple command.
Example: ๆฉใๅฏใใใใซใใฆใใ ใใใ
Describing a Change in State or Habit (with ใชใ/ใใ)
Used with ใใใชใ (to become so that) or ใใใซใใ (to make it so that) to indicate an acquired ability or a change in routine.
Example: ๆ่ฟใ็ด่ฑใ้ฃในใใใใใใซใชใใพใใใ
Frequency
High
Difficulty
N3 (Intermediate)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
ๆฉใๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใใใใใซใชใใใใซใๆฏๆฅๅๅผทใใฆใใพใใ
Furigana: ใฏใใใซใปใใใใฏใชใใใใใซใชใใใใซใใพใใซใกในใใใใใใฆใใพใใ
Romaji: Hayaku Nihongo ga hanaseru yล ni naru yล ni, mainichi benkyล shite imasu.
English: I study every day so that I can speak Japanese quickly.
Example #2
ๅฟใ็ฉใใชใใใใซใใซใใณใฎไธญใ็ขบ่ชใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใฎใใชใใใใซใใซใใณใฎใใชใใใใใซใใใใ
Romaji: Wasuremono ga nai yล ni, kaban no naka o kakunin shita.
English: I checked inside my bag so that I wouldn’t forget anything.
Example #3
ๅฅๅบทใฎใใใ้่ใ้ฃในใใใใซใใฆใใ ใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใฎใใใใใใใใในใใใใซใใฆใใ ใใใ
Romaji: Kenkล no tame, yasai o taberu yล ni shite kudasai.
English: For your health, please try to eat vegetables. (Soft advice/request)
Example #4
ๆๆฅใ้จใ้ใใชใใใใซ็ฅใฃใฆใใพใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใใใใตใใชใใใใซใใฎใฃใฆใใพใใ
Romaji: Ashita, ame ga furanai yล ni inotte imasu.
English: I am praying that it doesn’t rain tomorrow. (Wish/Hope)
Example #5
ไผ่ญฐไธญใฏๆบๅธฏ้ป่ฉฑใฎ้ปๆบใๅใใใใซๆฑบใใใใฆใใพใใ
Furigana: ใใใใกใ
ใใฏใใใใใงใใใฎใงใใใใใใใใใซใใใใใฆใใพใใ
Romaji: Kaigi-chลซ wa keitai denwa no dengen o kiru yล ni kimerarete imasu.
English: It has been decided that you must turn off your cell phone during the meeting. (Rule/Instruction)
Example #6
ๆ่ฟใฏใๆๆฉใ่ตทใใใใใซใชใใพใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใฏใใใใฏใใใใใใใใซใชใใพใใใ
Romaji: Saikin wa, asa hayaku okiru yล ni narimashita.
English: Recently, I have started to wake up early in the morning. (Change of habit)
Example #7
ๅฝผใฏใใญใฎๆญๆใงใใใใใซไธๆใซๆญใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใใฏใใญใฎใใใ
ใงใใใใใซใใใใใซใใใฃใใ
Romaji: Kare wa puro no kashu de aru yล ni jลzu ni utatta.
English: He sang skillfully, as if he were a professional singer. (Similarity/Manner)
Example #8
็ท ใๅใใพใงใซใฌใใผใใๆๅบใใใใใซใ
Furigana: ใใใใใพใงใซใฌใใผใใใฆใใใ
ใคใใใใใซใ
Romaji: Shimekiri made ni repลto o teishutsu suru yล ni.
English: Please make sure to submit the report by the deadline. (Instruction)
Example #9
่ชฐใใ็่งฃใงใใใใใซใ็ฐกๅใช่จ่ใง่ชฌๆใใพใใ
Furigana: ใ ใใใใใใใงใใใใใซใใใใใใชใใจใฐใงใใคใใใใพใใ
Romaji: Daremo ga rikai dekiru yล ni, kantan na kotoba de setsumei shimasu.
English: I will explain it in simple words so that everyone can understand.
Example #10
ๅณๆธ้คจใง้ณใ็ซใฆใชใใใใซๆณจๆใใใใ
Furigana: ใจใใใใใงใใจใใใฆใชใใใใซใกใ
ใใใใใใ
Romaji: Toshokan de oto o tatenai yล ni chลซi sareta.
English: I was warned not to make noise in the library. (Negative Instruction)
Notes & Nuances
๐ Important Points
Used with Verbs of Hope/Wish (็ฅใ, ้กใ).
When expressing a wish or hope (็ฅใ, ้กใ), ใใใซ is used to express the content of the wish.
Example: ้ขจ้ชใใฒใใชใใใใซใๆฐใใคใใฆใใ ใใใ
Purpose for Non-Volitional Outcomes.
If the purpose is an achievable state or ability (often involving the potential form or the negative form of a verb), ใใใซ is mandatory.
Example: ๆฐดใ็ฏ็ดใงใใใใใซใๆฐใใใทใฃใฏใผใใใใ่ฒทใฃใใ
Used with ใใ and ใชใ to indicate Change or Effort.
When combined with ใใ (to make efforts) or ใชใ (to naturally become), it indicates establishing a habit or a natural change in state.
Example: ๆฏๆฅใ้ๅใใใใใซๅฟใใใฆใใพใใ
โ ๏ธ Common Mistakes
โ Using ใใใซ instead of ใใใซ with volitional verbs (e.g., ใ้ใ้ใใใใใซ).
โ
V-Potential Form + ใใใซ (e.g., ๅๆ ผใงใใใใใซ)
ใใใซ is used when the verb is volitional (directly controllable, e.g., ไผ็คพใ่จญ็ซใใใใใซ). ใใใซ is used when the goal is a non-volitional state, ability, or change (e.g., so that I can pass, so that I don’t forget).
โ Using the volitional form before ใใใซ (e.g., ๅฟใใใใใใซ).
โ
V-Dictionary Form + ใใใซ (for requests/instructions, e.g., ๅฟใใชใใใใซ)
The volitional “ใใใ” form is not used with ใใใซ when expressing purpose or advice. ใใใซ generally follows the plain form of the verb.
โ Using only V-dictionary form for purposes where a potential form is more natural (e.g., ๆฅๆฌ่ชใไธๆใซใชใใใใซ).
โ
V-Potential + ใใใซ or V-Negative + ใใใซ
When expressing a purpose that is a non-volitional state (i.e., you can’t *force* the state, only work toward it), it should follow the potential or negative form.
๐๏ธ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Medium to High. The construction V-ใ/V-ใชใ ใใใซใใฆใใ ใใ is a standard polite way to give advice or instruction. Simply stating V-ใ/V-ใชใ ใใใซ is often a written instruction or a firm, slightly impersonal command.
Social Situations: Used widely by superiors to subordinates (teacher to student, boss to employee) when issuing instructions or advice (e.g., ๅ ฑๅๆธใๆๅบใใใใใซ). Also used by anyone to express a wish or goal (e.g., ้ขจ้ชใๅผใใชใใใใซ).
Regional Variations: The structure itself is standard across Japan. Contextual usage and intonation may vary slightly but the grammatical meaning remains constant.
๐ Subtle Differences
ใใใซ vs. ใใใซ
ใใใซ focuses on the resulting state/ability (non-volitional goal). ใใใซ focuses on the direct purpose of the action (volitional goal).
When to use: Use ใใใซ when the goal verb is potential or negative. Use ใใใซ when the goal verb is directly controllable and volitional.
ใใใซ vs. ใใจ
V-ใ/V-ใชใ ใใใซ often functions as advice or instruction with a soft tone. V-ใ/V-ใชใ ใใจ (as in ใใจใซใชใฃใฆใใ) expresses a strict, often written, rule or regulation.
When to use: Use ใใใซ when advising or hoping. Use ใใจ when stating a strict, established rule (V-ใ/V-ใชใ ใใจ).
ใใใช (Adj) vs. ใใใซ (Adv)
ใใใช is a na-adjective modifying a noun (e.g., ๅญไพใฎใใใชๅฃฐ). ใใใซ is an adverb modifying a verb/clause (e.g., ๅญไพใฎใใใซๆณฃใ).
When to use: Use ใใใช when describing a noun; use ใใใซ when describing the manner of an action.
๐ Conjugation Notes
The particle ใซ changes the word ใใใช (similar to/like) into an adverbial form ใใใซ (so that/in a way that). The verb attached to ใใใซ must be in its plain form (dictionary or negative). When used for purpose, potential forms are highly preferred (e.g., ่ฆใใใใใซ, ้ฃฒใใใใใซ).
๐ Pronunciation Tips
The ‘ni’ in ใใใซ is often pronounced quickly and lightly. Ensure the long ‘oo’ sound (yล) is maintained, differentiating it from a short ‘yo ni’.
๐ง Memory Tips
Think of ใใใซ as setting a **limit** or **standard** for the main action. 1. **Goal Limit:** I study (action) *to the limit that* I can pass (goal). 2. **Instruction Limit:** Act *to the limit that* you don’t forget (standard).
Other Grammar
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