To Shite in Japanese: As, In the Role Of, and Not Even One

What to shite means

To shite comes from the particle to and shite, the te form of suru, and literally means taking it to be. After a noun, it presents that noun as the role, capacity, status or category in which something happens. Tsūyaku to shite sanka shimashita means I took part as an interpreter: the role I had when I took part.

The noun can be a job, a position, a qualification or a purpose. It can also be a category for a thing: omiyage to shite, as a souvenir; shumi to shite, as a hobby; rei to shite, as an example. In each case, to shite answers the question in what capacity or as what?

To shite is neutral in register. You will hear it in conversation, read it in the news and write it in reports, which makes it one of the most versatile N3 patterns.

Forms of to shite at a glance

Like ni totte, to shite attaches directly to a noun and then takes particles to change its role in the sentence. The polite written form to shimashite appears in formal speeches, and the adverbial to shite mo and topic to shite wa are the two you will meet most after the basic form.

To shite wa: stance and standards

To shite wa has two related jobs. The first is stating a position: watashi to shite wa means speaking for myself or from where I stand, and kaisha to shite wa means as a company or officially. It is a polite way to give an opinion while showing it belongs to a particular role.

The second job is setting a standard for comparison, close to ni shite wa: kono heya wa hoteru to shite wa semai, this room is small for a hotel. Here to shite wa means judged as a member of that category, and what follows is often a surprise relative to that category.

Watashi to shite wa is also a gentle way to disagree at work. It frames your view as personal rather than as a correction of the other person.

To shite mo and to shite no

After a noun, to shite mo means also as or even as. Kyōshi to shite mo, oya to shite mo means both as a teacher and as a parent, and it lets you say that a judgement holds from more than one role.

To shite no joins the role to a following noun. Kyōshi to shite no sekinin is my responsibility as a teacher, and hito to shite no yasashisa is kindness as a human being. It is especially common with words such as sekinin, responsibility, jishin, confidence, and puraido, pride.

Do not confuse noun plus to shite mo with the clause pattern verb plus to shite mo, which means even supposing. Ashita iku to shite mo, osoku naru means even if I do go tomorrow, I will be late. That to shite mo comes from to suru, to assume, and belongs with to shitara and to sureba.

Not even one: hitori to shite... nai

When to shite follows the number one plus a counter and the sentence ends in a negative, it means not a single one. Hitori to shite means not one person, hitotsu to shite not one thing, and ichinichi to shite not a single day. It is emphatic and slightly literary, common in writing, speeches and news.

It often combines with question words: dare hitori to shite, not a single person, and nani hitotsu to shite, not a single thing. The negative at the end is essential; without it the sentence does not make sense.

In casual speech, people are more likely to say hitori mo konakatta or daremo konakatta. The to shite version adds weight and a sense of completeness, so save it for moments where you want emphasis.

To shite vs ni totte and de

To shite and ni totte are easily confused because both can appear before an opinion. To shite gives a role: kyōshi to shite, in my capacity as a teacher. Ni totte gives a viewpoint for an evaluation: kyōshi ni totte, for teachers, from their standpoint. Kyōshi to shite kono shigoto o eranda means I chose this job as a teacher, while kono shigoto wa kyōshi ni totte taihen da means this job is hard for teachers.

The particle de can also mean as or in the capacity of in some set expressions, such as boranthia de sanka suru, take part as a volunteer. De is shorter and more casual; to shite makes the role explicit and is safer in formal writing.

Common mistakes with to shite

• Using ni totte to state a position: watashi ni totte sansei desu is unnatural; say watashi to shite wa sansei desu.
• Using to shite for an evaluation from someone's standpoint: kodomo to shite muzukashii should be kodomo ni totte muzukashii.
• Adding da before to shite: say gakusei to shite, not gakusei da to shite.
• Dropping the negative in the not even one pattern: hitori to shite kita is wrong; it must be hitori to shite konakatta.
• Mixing up noun plus to shite mo, as a noun too, with verb plus to shite mo, even supposing.
• Overusing to shite for jobs in casual speech: kaishain desu is enough in an introduction; to shite is for when the role explains an action.

To shite in work and formal Japanese

Work Japanese uses to shite constantly, both for roles and for framing statements. Tantōsha to shite, as the person in charge, kaisha to shite, as a company, and chīmu to shite, as a team, all appear in meetings and emails. The pattern X o Y to shite, taking X as Y, is also common: Tanaka-san o rīdā to shite, with Tanaka as leader.

In formal speeches, you may hear to shimashite, and phrases like daihyō to shite, as a representative, open many greetings. These are worth learning as chunks because they recur almost word for word.

Gensoku to shite, as a rule, and shūkan to shite, as a custom, are set expressions worth memorising. You will see the first on shop notices and in terms and conditions.