84176
Pardon my wordiness here, but I'm trying to wrap my head around the exact
nuances of ~ようにする, together with the many other questions about it on this
site (such as
[this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/55906/%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%ab%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b-vs-%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%a8%e6%80%9d%e3%81%86),
[this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/33068/understand-the-
difference-between-
dictionary-%e3%81%aa%e3%81%84-%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%a8%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b-and-
volitional-%e3%81%ab%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b), and
[this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/49131/difference-in-
meaning-
between-%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%a8%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b-and-%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%ab%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b-meaning-
of-%e3%81%ae%e3%81%8b-in-this-question)).

[日本語文法ハンドブック](https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%88%9D%E7%B4%9A%E3%82%92%E6%95%99%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E3%81%9F%E3%82%81%E3%81%AE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E6%96%87%E6%B3%95%E3%83%8F%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%96%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E5%BA%B5-%E5%8A%9F%E9%9B%84/dp/4883191559)
(in section 7) lists three different definitions of ~ようにする, with examples:

  1. 無意志的な出来事が起こるように働きかけるという意味。「油をさして、ドアがスムーズに開くようにした。」
  2. 習慣的にある意志的な行動をすることを表す。「私は毎朝朝食を食べるようにした。」
  3. 出来事が実現するように努力するという意味。「今度会議にはできるだけ出るようにするよ。」

A passage about the 2nd definition's example sentence reads:
「例えば、『私は毎朝朝食を食べるようにした。』はいつも朝食を食べたということを表します。」This implies that although a
common translation of ~ようにする is "try to", implying possible failure,
definition 2 means that **the regular action indicated by ~ようにする is done
successfully without fail every time, as indicated by 「いつも」 in that
sentence**. So I feel that a more appropriate translation would be "try to and
succeed" (as long as we're talking about a past habitual action here per
definition 2).

In contrast, the highest-voted answer to [this
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/55906/%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%ab%e3%81%99%e3%82%8b-vs-%e3%82%88%e3%81%86%e3%81%a8%e6%80%9d%e3%81%86)
says that ~ようにする implies a wishy-washy, passive or apologetic degree of
intention, as if failure at some attempts is a very real possibility.

It seems to me that the degree of implied success varies depending on tense
and whether the action is volitional or not (意志的 or 無意志的). Please help me
understand if my interpretations below are correct.

> 油をさして、ドアがスムーズに開くようにした。

The action is non-volitional and non-habitual. So this sentence does NOT imply
success at making the door スムーズに開く, but merely an attempt.

> 今日からお酒を飲まないようにします。 I'll make sure I don't drink any more alcohol from today.

The new habitual action is volitional and placed in the future. So this does
NOT imply success, but merely an attempt. Any further implication of success
or failure depends on the person's reputation, although ~ようにする does not imply
an impressive amount of personal determination here.

> 毎日歩くようにしている。 I'm trying to walk every day.

The habitual action is volitional and in the present. This does NOT imply
success every day, but merely regular attempts, although success with at least
the majority of these attempts would be implied.

> 毎日宿題をするようにしました。 I made sure that I did my homework every day.

The habitual action is volitional and past-tense. Per the description above,
this DOES imply success at every attempt; the listener understands that the
speaker WAS able to do their homework every day, for an unspecified period of
time.

Please let me know what is correct or incorrect about these interpretations.
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2021-02-11T21:02:04.987
84152
2021-02-13T05:26:43.073
4382
question
nuances particles grammar
Degrees of implied success with ~ようにする
> although a common translation of ~ようにする is "try to"

This does not seem true, and I guess from other questions you cited that it is
because you perhaps confuse two expressions ～ようとする and ～ようにする, or two よう in
them (they are as different as _can_ (able) and _can_ (container), and attach
to different verb conjugations).

～ようにする is, literally parsed, "do so that —ing occurs", or "make (sure) —
happen". Even if you want to translate it with "try", it is not "try to V" but
"try the best so that V". I think [this answer by Graham
Healey](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/49135/7810) is the best
verbalization for its usage.

Given that, the implication of success with and without た is easy to explain:
when you promise to "make it happen" it is objectively still uncertain if it
does, but when you say "made it happen" it is already done.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-13T05:26:43.073
84176
2021-02-13T05:26:43.073
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84152
answer