ことにしている
Make a Habit of
ことにしている is used when you have made a personal decision to follow a specific routine or rule. It emphasizes your willpower and intention rather than just a random habit.
How It Works
While a simple habit might be described with the ている form alone, ことにしている adds a layer of 'policy' or 'resolution.'
Key Characteristics:
- Volition: It shows the speaker is acting on their own choice.
- Consistency: It implies the rule is currently being followed.
- Negative Rules: Using the ない form + ことにしている expresses a rule not to do something (e.g., 'I make it a rule not to eat late').
Formation:
1. Verb (Dictionary Form) + ことにしている
2. Verb (Nai Form) + ことにしている
Examples (4)
- 健康のために、毎日野菜を食べることにしています。
For my health, I make it a rule to eat vegetables every day.
Word by Word: Health for-the-sake-of, every day vegetables eat (decided rule) am-doing.
The speaker has consciously decided this routine for health reasons.
- 寝る前には、スマホを見ないことにしている。
I've made it a rule not to look at my smartphone before going to bed.
Word by Word: Sleep before-at, smartphone look-not (decided rule) am-doing.
This shows a negative rule (something the speaker intentionally avoids).
- 毎週日曜日は、家族に電話することにしている。
I make it a point to call my family every Sunday.
Word by Word: Every week Sunday, family to phone-do (decided rule) am-doing.
This expresses a personal policy regarding social or family obligations.
- 知らない人にはついていかないことにしている。
I make it a rule not to follow people I don't know.
Word by Word: Know-not person to, follow-go-not (decided rule) am-doing.
A personal safety policy or principle.
Common Mistakes
Using it for rules decided by others (like school or work rules).
学校では制服を着ることにしています。学校では制服を着ることになっています。ことにしている is for personal decisions. For rules made by society or organizations, use ことになっている.
Using it for unconscious habits (like biting nails).
爪を噛むことにしている。爪を噛む癖（くせ）がある。ことにしている requires conscious intent. Unconscious habits should use words like 癖（くせ - habit/vice） or simple verb forms.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'ことにしている', you need to know how to nominalize verbs using 'こと' to treat an action as a 'thing' or 'rule'. Additionally, you must understand the 'ている' form, as it expresses that the decision to follow this rule is currently in effect as state of being maintained as a habit.
- のPossessive/nominalizer
The pattern uses 'こと' as a nominalizer to turn a verb phrase into a noun, which is functionally similar to the nominalizing particle 'の'.
Level 1 - ているProgressive/resultative
The 'ている' ending is used here to express a continuous state or a current habit resulting from a past decision.
Level 2 - ようにするTry To/make Sure to
Both patterns involve making an effort or setting a rule for oneself, making 'ようにする' a foundational concept for volitional habits.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- ことになっているSupposed To/Established Rule
While ことにしている is a personal rule, ことになっている refers to rules or schedules determined by external factors or society.
Level 2 - ことにするDecide to
ことにする is the one-time act of making a decision, while ことにしている is the ongoing state of following that decision.
Level 3 - ことVerb to Noun
The nominalizer こと turns the preceding verb into a noun phrase so it can be treated as the object of the decision.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice ことにしている in Bubblegum
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