【JLPT N4】How to Use にする(Ni Suru) to Express Your Choices

にする(Ni Suru)

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a cozy ramen shop in Shinjuku, staring at a menu full of delicious options, and suddenly realized you didn’t know how to actually tell the waiter what you wanted? You know the word for “ramen,” and you know the word for “I,” but somehow, the bridge between your choice and your words feels a little shaky. If you’ve felt that “language freeze,” don’t worry—you are definitely not alone. It’s one of those hurdles every Japanese learner faces early on.

In Japanese, making a decision isn’t just about the verb “to choose” (erabu). There is a much more common, everyday structure that handles almost all of our daily selections, from what we want to eat to what color shirt we’re going to buy. That structure is 〜にする (ni suru). It is one of the most versatile tools in your JLPT toolkit, appearing in N5 and N4 levels, but remaining essential all the way up to N1 and beyond. Today, we’re going to break it down so you can stop overthinking and start speaking with confidence.

Before diving into the grammar detail, here is the JLPT N4 complete guide: 
The Ultimate JLPT N4 Complete Guide: Your Gateway to Working and Living in Japan

The Basic Rule of Ni Suru

At its core, 〜にする (ni suru) translates most closely to “to decide on” or “to make it [something].” It’s the grammar we use when we have options in front of us and we are picking one. Think of it as the verbal equivalent of pointing your finger at something and saying, “This one.”

The grammatical structure is actually very simple. You take a noun (the thing you’ve chosen) and attach the particle に (ni), followed by the verb する (suru), which means “to do.”

[Noun] + にする

For example, if you are at a cafe and you decide on coffee, you say: コーヒーにする (Kohii ni suru). In a polite setting, you simply change “suru” to its polite form: コーヒーにします (Kohii ni shimasu).

While we often translate it as “I’ll have the coffee” or “I’ll take the coffee,” the literal mindset in Japanese is closer to “I will go with coffee” or “I am making it coffee.” This subtle shift in thinking helps you understand why we use the particle に—it acts as a target marker for your decision.

Expanding Beyond Decisions

While “deciding on a noun” is the most common use for JLPT learners, 〜にする also has a second life: it is used when you change the state of something. In this case, you use it with adjectives to mean “to make something [adjective].”

• For い-adjectives: Change the final 〜い to 〜く + する. (e.g., 暑い → 暑くする / To make it hot)
• For な-adjectives: Add に + する. (e.g., 静か → 静かにする / To make it quiet)

For this article, we will focus primarily on the “decision-making” aspect, as that is the one that causes the most confusion when you’re trying to order food or plan a trip with friends.

Daily Life Examples Using Ni Suru

To really get a feel for how this works, let’s look at three scenarios you are likely to encounter while living in or visiting Japan. Pay attention to how the decision feels active—this is someone making a choice among many possibilities.

Scenario 1: Ordering Food or Drinks

This is the most frequent use of the grammar. When a waiter asks for your order, or when you are discussing what to eat with a friend, you use 〜にする.

Japanese: A: 何を飲みますか？ B: 私はビールにします。
Reading: A: Nani o nomimasu ka? B: Watashi wa biiru ni shimasu.
English: A: What will you drink? B: I’ll go with beer (or “I’ll have a beer”).

In this case, the speaker is looking at a menu of many drinks and narrowing their choice down to beer. It sounds much more natural and decisive than saying “Biiru o nomimasu” (I drink beer), which can sometimes sound like a general habit rather than a specific choice for this moment.

Scenario 2: Choosing a Gift or Shopping

Imagine you are at a department store trying to pick out a birthday present for a friend. You’ve been looking at a red scarf and a blue scarf for ten minutes.

Japanese: この赤いネクタイにします。
Reading: Kono akai nekutai ni shimasu.
English: I’ve decided on this red tie.

By using にします, you are signaling to the shop assistant that your browsing is over and you have reached a conclusion. It’s the phrase that ends the “choosing” process and starts the “buying” process.

Scenario 3: Deciding on Plans or Logistics

This grammar is also perfect for when you are coordinating with others. Maybe you are trying to decide what time to meet your language exchange partner at the station.

Japanese: 会議は明日の１０時にしましょう。
Reading: Kaigi wa ashita no juuji ni shimashou.
English: Let’s decide on 10:00 AM tomorrow for the meeting.

Here, we use the “let’s” form (〜ましょう). It’s a great way to propose a decision to a group. Instead of just stating a fact, you are suggesting that everyone “make it” 10:00 AM.

Critical Differences and Common Mistakes

The biggest struggle for English speakers (and many other learners) is distinguishing between 〜にする (ni suru) and 〜になる (ni naru). Since both use the particle に, it’s incredibly easy to swap them by mistake. However, changing that one verb at the end changes the entire meaning of your sentence.

Decision vs. Natural Outcome

The rule of thumb is: Suru is about Choice; Naru is about Change.

If you say 「部長にする」(Buchou ni suru), it means “I will make (someone) the manager” or “I decide to be the manager (in a roleplay, perhaps).” It implies a human will is involved. You are the one pulling the strings.

If you say 「部長になる」(Buchou ni naru), it means “I will become the manager.” This might be a natural progression of your career or something that happens to you. It describes the result or the transition, not the act of picking from a menu of options.

The “Ordering” Trap

One mistake I often hear is learners using the verb 頼む (tanomu – to request/order) or 注文する (chuumon suru – to order) in places where a Japanese person would simply use にする.

While 「ラーメンを注文します」(Raamen o chuumon shimasu) is grammatically correct, it sounds a bit formal or clinical, like you’re reading a textbook. If you’re talking to a friend or a waiter, 「ラーメンにします」(Raamen ni shimasu) is much more idiomatic. It focuses on your internal decision, which is what the listener actually needs to know.

The Particle Mistake

Sometimes learners try to use the object particle を (o) instead of に (ni), saying 「コーヒーをします」(Kohii o shimasu). In Japanese, this doesn’t make much sense because “shimasu” (to do) needs an action. You can “do” soccer (sakkaa o suru), but you can’t “do” a coffee. By using に, you are saying “I will decide towards coffee,” which makes the sentence work.

Understanding the Nuance of Decisiveness

Why do we use 〜にする so much? Japanese culture often values the clarity of intent when it comes to social interactions. When you use this grammar, you are taking responsibility for your choice. This is especially important in a group setting.

If a group of people is undecided about where to go for dinner, someone might eventually say, 「イタリア料理にしよう！」 (Itaria ryouri ni shiyou! / Let’s go with Italian!). This clears the air and sets a direction. Without the 〜にする structure, conversations can often loop in circles of “anything is fine.” Using this grammar helps you become a more proactive communicator in Japanese.

Decision for the Future: 〜ことにする

As you progress toward the N3 level, you’ll encounter a cousin of this grammar: 〜ことにする (koto ni suru). This is used when you decide to perform an action (a verb) rather than just picking a noun.

For example: 「毎日ジョギングすることにしました」 (Mainichi jogingu suru koto ni shimashita / I have decided to go jogging every day).

The logic is the same. You take the action (jogging every day), turn it into a “thing” or “concept” using こと (koto), and then apply にする to show you’ve made a decision. Mastering 〜にする now will make learning these advanced structures much easier later on.

Tips for Practice

The best way to get 〜にする into your long-term memory is to use it in “micro-decisions” throughout your day. You don’t need a conversation partner for this; you can do it in your head.

1. At the grocery store: Look at two types of apples. Pick one and say (or think), “これにする” (Kore ni suru – I’ll go with this one).
2. Choosing your clothes: When you pick your shirt for the day, say “青いシャツにする” (Aoi shatsu ni suru – I’ll go with the blue shirt).
3. Planning your study: “今日は漢字の勉強にする” (Kyou wa kanji no benkyou ni suru – Today, I’ll go with studying Kanji).

By constantly labeling your choices with this grammar, you’ll find that when you’re actually in Japan and someone asks you what you want, the phrase will slide out of your mouth naturally, without you having to translate from English in your head.

Summary

Let’s recap what we’ve learned about 〜にする (ni suru):

• What it means: It’s the primary way to say “I’ve decided on [X]” or “I’ll have [X].”
• How to build it: Simply Noun + に + する. Use します for politeness.
• Where to use it: Restaurants, shopping, choosing times/dates, and picking options from a group.
• The big difference: Remember that にする is a conscious choice (I make it so), while になる is a change or result (It becomes so).

Learning grammar can feel like a slow process of collecting bricks to build a house. 〜にする is a foundational brick. It’s not just a rule to memorize for a test; it’s a way to express your will and interact with the world around you in Japanese. The next time you’re out and have to make a choice, take a deep breath, point to what you want, and say 「これにします！」. You’ve got this!

Happy studying, and good luck with your JLPT goals! If you have any questions about how to use this grammar in specific situations, feel free to leave a comment or ask your teacher. Every small step counts on the road to fluency.

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