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To be decided that A; A is decided (by someone else)
Used to show when something is decided by another party, not the speaker.
  1. To be decided that A; A is decided (by someone else)
    Used to show when something is decided by another party, not the speaker.
  2. Shows a natural/logical conclusion A
しばらく いえ いる ことになった  
I am to stay in the house for awhile.
21
                 こと  なりました  
I broke up with him last year, but we decided to date again.
16
            21       こと  なりました  
It was decided at the meeting yesterday to have the party on the 21st.
-3
                    ごと  なってる    
Every summer, we all are supposed (it has been decided for us) to attend the Awa-odori festival in Tokushima.

Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
AVerb: Dictionary Form
 
AVerb: ない form
 
 
ことなる
Basic Examples:
くることになった (it was decided that he will come)

いかないことになる (it is decided that (I) won't go)

Notes
This shows that a decision has been made to do A
Where this grammar is found


User notes
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mtsugawa
Level: 6
(12 years ago)
You will also hear this used quite often in regards to decisions in which the speaker may VERY well have had a part in making, such as:
することになりました。
いっぱいでをやめることになりました。
しすることになりましt。
...and it seems that the use of ことになりました softens the shock or surprise that they expect the listener may experience.
8
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shirothekiller
Level: 1
(12 years ago)
This grammar point is used to express that a decision was made outside of yourself. the person saying this, is not the decider of what is happening
9
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モモ
Level: 1
(13 years ago)
The tense of なる in this grammar is quite important, as it shows the space of time in which the decision was reached. For instance:

ことになっていた= In the past it was decided, and continued
ことになっている= In the past it was decided, and will still continue
ことになった= Recently decided.
26
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aileen
Level: 1
(15 years ago)
Because it doesn't point out the cause of the decision, this grammar structure is a very useful way to take the blame off yourself or an ally in a situation. It often implies "I was told to X" or "it was decided beyond my control that ~ will occur" with a sort of 'decided from on high' feeling. You'll hear it quite often if you have any exposure to Japanese bureaucracy.
16
 
Shows a natural/logical conclusion A
  1. To be decided that A; A is decided (by someone else)
    Used to show when something is decided by another party, not the speaker.
  2. Shows a natural/logical conclusion A
12
                  こと  なる  
If you walk ten more minutes, you will have exercised an hour today.
8
            という こと  なる    
If it rains tomorrow as well that'll be all week with rain.

Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
AVerb: Dictionary Form
 
AVerb: Casual
 
 
ことなる
Where this grammar is found


User notes
avatar
Level:
(11 years ago)
The two things being described should be:

1. roughly quantifiable
2. fairly equal

A useful way to look at it is to relate the construction with the English phrase [the same as saying]. For example:

に200りたけど、100のパンをってあげたから、りはしたということになるね。」
"I borrowed 200 yen from you, but since I bought you two pieces of bread for 100 yen each, that's the same as saying I repaid the loan."

「このを125ページんだら、んだことになる。」
"If you read 125 pages of this book, that's the same as saying that you read half of it."

This construction cannot be used for describing simple cause and effect. The following example is unnatural because neither component is really quantifiable, and thus cannot be equated in any meaningful way (as evidenced by the odd English translation):

くなったら、いたことになる。」
"If you get chilly, that's the same as saying you will catch a cold."

Keep in mind though that in cases of extreme exaggeration for humor's sake, sometimes the two parts can be drastically different in perceived value, just as is sometimes seen in English:

「このんだら、をマスターしたことになるよ!」
"If I read this entire grammar book, that's the same as saying that I mastered Japanese!"
11

Discussion about this grammar
avatar
Level: 1
Title of this page is fine, main grammar library pattern title and in model sentences displaying as る, don't need the kanji for なる.
1
14 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 256
なる should be fixed!
1
14 years ago
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Level: 3
The last two model sentences do not show ことになる Grammar.
0
14 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 256
Strange - those definitely belong on another page. I'll get them off of here right now. Thanks!
0
14 years ago
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Level: 3
No problem. I saw it and figured it was a glitch.
0
14 years ago
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ちゃん
Level: 1
Another use for this is "a logical conclusion". For example 「12ページのレポートは、13ページをけば、4わることになる。」 "For a 12 page paper, if you write 3 pages a day you can finish in 4 days."
3
12 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 256
Thanks - added after checking a few things out!
0
12 years ago
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|マルコ|
Level: 110

quoting this grammar point explanation from "A dictionary of basic japanese grammar" :


An event takes place as if spontaneusly, irrespective of the speaker's volition.
it will be decidec that ~; come about ~; be arranged that ~; turn out that ~;
This construction is used when some decision or arrangment is made by some unspecified agent. Semantically this construction is close to the passive, because the experiencer has no control over the event.



So I think it is worth to change or add something under the description that makes more clear and stress that point (of the decision being imposed on you), to better differentiate it from ことにする

0
8 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 256

You're completely right - didn't even see that. Changing it now!

1
8 years ago
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|マルコ|
Level: 110

to add to my point from 5 years ago ( xD lol), I think that "To decide that A" might be misleading and should be removed, because if people don't read the note below, this sounds a lot like the speaker making a decision rather than having a decision imposed on them.

1
2 years ago
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マイコー
Level: 256

There is a second line of information on that one that talks about that, but I added some additional clarification.

1
2 years ago
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