ことにする / ことになる

JLPT N4 Japanese self-study　·　~12 min　·　I decide to ~ / it's decided that ~

'I decided to exercise every day.' vs 'It's been decided I'll be transferred.' Both mean 'decided' — but ことにする is YOUR decision, and ことになる is decided by circumstances.

What you'll learn

• ことにする: I decided to ~ (your own will)
• ことになる: it's been decided (external/natural)
• ことにしている: I make it a rule to ~

How to study “ことにする / ことになる”

“ことにする / ことになる” (I decide to ~ / it's decided that ~) is a JLPT N4 chapter of our free Japanese self-study course, about 12 min. You learn by doing — flashcard drills and fill-in-the-blank quizzes graded on the spot — completely free, with no sign-up and no ad wall. Once it clicks, read the matching in-depth explainer over in Grammar.