〜ようとする: Trying To / About To Do

The two things とする does to a volitional

〜ようとする starts from the volitional form (the 〜よう / 〜おう "let's / I'll" form you met in N4) and adds とする. The volitional already carries will or intention; とする pushes that will right up to the edge of action. That gives two closely related readings:

1. Try / attempt to do — you put your will into something, especially something difficult or that may not come off.
2. Be just about to do — you are on the very verge of the action, usually just as something else happens.

Get the volitional right, then just conjugate する

Everything hangs on forming the volitional correctly; とする itself is a plain する verb after that:

う-verbs end in 〜おう, る-verbs in 〜よう — so it's 行こう → 行こうとする (never ×行きようとする). Once the volitional is set, conjugate only the する part: past 〜ようとした, progressive 〜ようとしている, negative 〜ようとしない. Don't touch the volitional again. If 〜よう / 〜おう feels shaky, review the volitional form first.

Sense 2 up close: the instant before the action

When the reading is "just about to," 〜ようとする marks the split-second before something happens — very often flagged by 時 or 瞬間, and very often interrupted:

〜ようとしない: the "won't" that bites

The negative 〜ようとしない is common enough to memorize on its own. It describes someone who won't or refuses to do something — no effort at all, even where you'd expect some. Because the positive already means "make the attempt," negating it lands harder than a plain "doesn't": it's "won't even try."

Doing versus planning: vs 〜ようと思う and つもり

The line people cross most is treating 〜ようとする as a plan. It isn't. つもり and 〜ようと思う state an intention ("I intend / I'm thinking of doing"); 〜ようとする describes the attempt itself or the moment just before — the action is already underway or imminent, not merely on the drawing board. 行こうと思う = "I think I'll go"; 行こうとした = "I was about to go / I tried to go."

One more restriction falls out of that "willed effort" core: 〜ようとする needs a controllable action by a person. You can't say ×雨が降ろうとする for "it's about to rain" in this sense — for natural phenomena or a simple "about to," reach for 〜そう or 〜ところ instead.

The short version

• 〜ようとする = volitional + とする: (1) try / attempt to do, (2) be just about to do.
• Sense 1 implies effort or will, often with a result that follows (起きようとしたが…).
• Sense 2 marks the instant before an action, often with 時 / 瞬間.
• 〜ようとしない = won't / refuses to do, makes no effort.
• Only for willed, controllable actions — not 雨が降ろうとする.
• It's not a plan: contrast with つもり and 〜ようと思う.

Practice it