The core idea: ni marks what you pick
In ni suru, the particle ni marks the end point of a choice, the option you land on, and suru is the act of settling there. So kore ni shimasu is literally something like I make it this one. English speakers usually translate it as I'll have, I'll take or I'll go with, depending on the situation.
Because it states a decision, ni shimasu is the natural answer to a question that offers options. Staff at a restaurant ask nani ni nasaimasu ka or o-nomimono wa dō nasaimasu ka, both honorific versions of what will you choose, and ni shimasu answers the question in the same frame.
| Form | Pattern | Example | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | noun + にします | コーヒーにします。 | I'll have coffee |
| Plain present | noun + にする | コーヒーにする。 | Casual: I'll go with coffee |
| Past | noun + にしました | 赤いのにしました。 | I went with the red one |
| Question | 何にしますか | 何にしますか。 | What will you have? |
| Suggestion | noun + にしましょう | ここにしましょう。 | Let's go with this place |
| Casual suggestion | noun + にしよう | カレーにしよう。 | Let's have curry |
| Tentative | noun + にしておきます | 水にしておきます。 | I'll stick to water for now |
Ordering food and drinks with ni shimasu
Ordering is where you will use ni shimasu most. It works for the main choice, for sizes and set options, and for answering follow-up questions about temperature or sides. If you are with friends, the same pattern in plain form is how people announce their pick while looking at the menu.
For a broader walk through ordering at a table, see the guide on how to order food in Japanese; this section focuses only on the choosing pattern itself.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何にしますか。 | Nani ni shimasu ka. | What will you have? |
| 私は日替わりランチにします。 | Watashi wa higawari ranchi ni shimasu. | I'll have the daily lunch special. |
| 飲み物はアイスコーヒーにします。 | Nomimono wa aisu kōhī ni shimasu. | For my drink, I'll have an iced coffee. |
| サイズはMにします。 | Saizu wa emu ni shimasu. | I'll go with a medium. |
| セットにします。 | Setto ni shimasu. | I'll make it a set. |
| じゃあ、同じのにします。 | Jā, onaji no ni shimasu. | In that case, I'll have the same. |
| 私、ラーメンにする。 | Watashi, rāmen ni suru. | Casual: I'm going with ramen. |
| どれにしようかな。 | Dore ni shiyō ka na. | I wonder which one to get. |
Ni shimasu, o kudasai, ga ii and de ii
Several patterns can express what you want, and they differ mainly in how enthusiastic or deferential you sound. Learners often use de ii desu everywhere because it feels modest, but it carries a sense of that will do, which can sound lukewarm when someone is offering you a choice as a kindness.
Ga ii desu shows a clear preference and is common when a friend or host asks what you would like. Ni shimasu reports a decision. O kudasai is a direct request, perfectly polite at a counter.
| Phrase | Literal sense | Best used when | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| コーヒーにします | I'll make it coffee | Answering a menu question | Neutral and safe almost everywhere |
| コーヒーをください | Please give me coffee | Ordering at a counter | Direct; fine with staff |
| コーヒーがいいです | Coffee would be good | A host or friend asks your preference | Shows a clear wish |
| コーヒーでいいです | Coffee is fine | You truly do not mind | Can sound like settling |
| コーヒーでお願いします | Coffee, please | Confirming an option offered to you | Common and polite |
If a host asks o-cha to kōhī, dochira ga ii desu ka, answering kōhī ga ii desu or kōhī o itadakemasu ka sounds warmer than kōhī de ii desu. With staff, ni shimasu or de onegai shimasu are both easy defaults.
Deciding times, places and plans
Outside restaurants, ni suru fixes the details of a plan. You pick a date, a meeting place, a restaurant or a present, and ni shimashō or ni shimasen ka turns your pick into a proposal. At work, ni shite mo ii desu ka asks permission to choose something.
The past form ni shimashita reports a decision already made, which is useful when you explain what you chose and why. Kekkyoku, in the end, often comes before it.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 来週の火曜日にしませんか。 | Raishū no kayōbi ni shimasen ka. | How about making it next Tuesday? |
| 集合は駅の改札前にしましょう。 | Shūgō wa eki no kaisatsu-mae ni shimashō. | Let's meet in front of the station ticket gates. |
| 店はどこにする？ | Mise wa doko ni suru? | Casual: Where shall we eat? |
| 誕生日プレゼント、何にした？ | Tanjōbi purezento, nani ni shita? | Casual: What did you get for the birthday present? |
| 結局、青いほうにしました。 | Kekkyoku, aoi hō ni shimashita. | In the end I went with the blue one. |
| 会議は三時にしてもいいですか。 | Kaigi wa sanji ni shite mo ii desu ka. | Is it all right if we make the meeting three o'clock? |
| やっぱり明日にします。 | Yappari ashita ni shimasu. | On second thought, I'll make it tomorrow. |
Ni shiyō: suggesting and deciding together
The volitional form ni shiyō, and its polite version ni shimashō, invites others to share the choice. In casual speech, ni shiyō ka adds a question and sounds gentler, as if you are thinking aloud with the group. Ni shiyō to omoimasu says you are thinking of choosing something, a softer way to announce a plan.
When you are talking to yourself or weighing options, ni shiyō ka na and ni shiyō kanā are the usual forms. They are not questions for the listener, so nobody expects an answer.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は和食にしよう。 | Kyō wa washoku ni shiyō. | Let's have Japanese food today. |
| 二次会はカラオケにしようか。 | Nijikai wa karaoke ni shiyō ka. | Shall we make the second round karaoke? |
| そうしましょう。 | Sō shimashō. | Let's do that. |
| お土産はお菓子にしようと思います。 | Omiyage wa okashi ni shiyō to omoimasu. | I'm thinking of getting sweets as a souvenir. |
| どっちにしようかな。 | Dotchi ni shiyō ka na. | I wonder which one I should pick. |
| じゃ、それにしよう。決まり！ | Ja, sore ni shiyō. Kimari! | Right, let's go with that. Decided! |
Making things a certain way: ku suru and ni suru
The same suru also means to make something a certain way. The adjective describes the new state and suru is the action that puts it there. I-adjectives drop the final i and add ku; na-adjectives and nouns add ni. The thing being changed usually takes o.
This is the pattern for requests at a hairdresser, a shop or a desk: shorter, cheaper, quieter, bigger. Adding te kudasai or te moraemasu ka turns it into a polite request.
| Type | Dictionary form | Make it so | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-adjective | 短い (short) | 短くする | 前髪を短くしてください。 Please cut my fringe shorter. |
| I-adjective | 安い (cheap) | 安くする | もう少し安くしてもらえませんか。 Could you make it a bit cheaper? |
| I-adjective | 小さい (small) | 小さくする | 音を小さくして。 Turn the sound down. |
| I-adjective | いい (good) | よくする | 町をよくしたいです。 I want to make the town better. |
| Na-adjective | 静か (quiet) | 静かにする | 静かにしてください。 Please be quiet. |
| Na-adjective | きれい (clean) | きれいにする | 部屋をきれいにしました。 I tidied my room. |
| Noun | 半分 (half) | 半分にする | ご飯を半分にできますか。 Can you make the rice a half portion? |
Handy requests that use ku suru and ni suru
Many practical requests are built this way, and they are easier to say than a new verb. At a café you can make a drink less sweet, at a hotel you can make the room warmer, and at a restaurant you can ask for a lighter flavour. The te-form request keeps it polite.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 甘さを控えめにできますか。 | Amasa o hikaeme ni dekimasu ka. | Can you make it less sweet? |
| 氷を少なくしてください。 | Kōri o sukunaku shite kudasai. | Less ice, please. |
| 部屋を暖かくしたいんですが。 | Heya o atatakaku shitai n desu ga. | I'd like to make the room warmer. |
| 味を薄めにしてもらえますか。 | Aji o usume ni shite moraemasu ka. | Could you make the flavour a little lighter? |
| 文字を大きくしてもらえますか。 | Moji o ōkiku shite moraemasu ka. | Could you make the text bigger? |
| ご飯は大盛りにしてください。 | Gohan wa ōmori ni shite kudasai. | Please make the rice a large portion. |
Ni suru versus ni naru
Ni suru and ni naru mirror each other. With suru, someone deliberately chooses or changes something. With naru, it becomes that way, and the speaker does not present anyone as the cause. The adjective forms work exactly the same: akaruku suru, make it bright, and akaruku naru, it gets bright.
This matters for politeness. In business Japanese, a decision is often reported with ni narimashita rather than ni shimashita, because it sounds like the outcome of circumstances rather than one person's will. The dedicated guide to naru and suru goes deeper into this contrast; here are the pairs you will hear around choices.
| With suru | Meaning | With naru | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 会議を明日にしました | We moved the meeting to tomorrow | 会議は明日になりました | The meeting is now tomorrow |
| 部屋を静かにする | Make the room quiet | 部屋が静かになる | The room goes quiet |
| 値段を安くする | Lower the price | 値段が安くなる | The price goes down |
| コーヒーにします | I'll have coffee | コーヒーになります | Staff: Here is your coffee |
The last row is worth knowing. When staff bring your order and say kōhī ni narimasu, it is a service phrase meaning this is your coffee. Some people consider it slightly odd, but you will hear it constantly, and it is not a form you need to copy when you order.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using o instead of ni: say kōhī ni shimasu, not kōhī o shimasu.
- Adding ni to i-adjectives: it is takaku suru, not takai ni suru.
- Forgetting ku on i-adjectives: ōkii suru is wrong; say ōkiku suru.
- Saying de ii desu to a generous host: ga ii desu or ni shimasu sounds warmer.
- Treating ni shiyō ka na as a question to the listener: it is thinking aloud, so people may just wait for you.
- Using ni suru for a verb: for actions, the patterns are koto ni suru or you ni suru, not verb + ni suru.