GrammarJLPT N5
→ to do
To Do / To Make / To Carry Out
JLPT N5Auxiliary verbNeutral
する is one of the most fundamental and versatile verbs in Japanese, meaning "to do" at its core but extending far beyond that single translation. As an independent verb, する means "to do" or "to carry out" an action. As a suffix, it attaches to nouns of Chinese origin (漢語) and loanwords to create compound verbs, such as 勉強する (to study) or コピーする (to copy). As an auxiliary, it can express sensory experiences ("to smell," "to taste," "to feel"), choices and decisions (when paired with に), and the idea of making something become a certain state. する is an irregular verb (one of only two in Japanese, alongside 来る), so its conjugations must be memorized: します (polite), した (past), して (て-form), しない (negative), and so on. Unlike やる, which is a more casual and sometimes rougher synonym for "to do," する is neutral in register and appropriate in virtually all contexts. Understanding the many roles of する is essential from the very beginning of Japanese study, as it appears in countless grammatical patterns and everyday expressions.
Functions
#1 Performing an action (to do)
Structure
Noun + を + する
毎日、日本語の勉強をします。まいにち、 にほんご の べんきょう を します。
Here する functions as an independent verb meaning "to do." The particle を marks the object noun 勉強 (studying), and します is the polite present form. This pattern is used when the action noun and the verb are separated by a particle, which allows you to insert modifiers like 日本語の between them.I study Japanese every day.
Structures
- Independent verb (to do)
- Noun + を + する
- Noun compound verb
- Noun (漢語 / loanword) + する
- Choice / Decision
- Noun + に + する
- Sensory experience
- Noun / Adjective + が + する
Common mistakes
A very common mistake is conjugating する as if it were a regular Godan or Ichidan verb — for example, saying すらない instead of the correct しない, or すって instead of して. Since する is one of only two irregular verbs in Japanese, its conjugation forms must simply be memorized. Another frequent error is confusing にする (to decide on / to make into) with になる (to become); the former implies a deliberate choice while the latter describes a natural change. Beginners also sometimes struggle with whether to use を with compound nouns: both 勉強をする and 勉強する are correct, but inserting を is required when you want to add modifiers before the noun, as in 日本語の勉強をする. Finally, learners sometimes use する where やる would be more natural in casual speech, or vice versa — while they overlap, やる can sound too casual or rough in polite situations.
Related
やるなるにするをするしているさせる