Breakdown of kono aoi syatu ni suru ka, siroi syatu ni suru ka mayotte imasu.
Questions & Answers about kono aoi syatu ni suru ka, siroi syatu ni suru ka mayotte imasu.
Why is にする used here? I thought する just meant to do.
In this sentence, N にする is a very common pattern meaning to choose N, to go with N, or to decide on N.
So:
- 青いシャツにする = choose the blue shirt / go with the blue shirt
- 白いシャツにする = choose the white shirt / go with the white shirt
This is different from the basic する meaning to do.
A useful way to remember it is:
- A をする often means do A
- A にする often means make it A / choose A
For example:
- コーヒーにします。 = I’ll have coffee.
- これにします。 = I’ll take this one.
So in your sentence, the speaker is wavering between two choices.
What is the role of か in 青いシャツにするか、白いシャツにするか?
Here, か is marking alternatives: whether to choose the blue shirt or whether to choose the white shirt.
The pattern is:
- A か、B か ...
- whether A or B ...
- A or B ...
So:
- 青いシャツにするか、白いシャツにするか迷っています
- I’m wondering whether to choose the blue shirt or the white shirt
This is not exactly the same as the か used in simple questions like:
- 行きますか。 = Are you going?
Here, か is being used inside the sentence to present two possibilities.
Why is か used twice?
Because each full option is being presented as a separate possibility.
The sentence is structured like this:
- 青いシャツにするか
- 白いシャツにするか
- 迷っています
Literally, it is close to:
- I am hesitating over whether to make it the blue shirt, or whether to make it the white shirt.
Japanese often repeats the full grammatical pattern in each option. In English, we might shorten it:
- I’m torn between the blue shirt and the white shirt.
But Japanese commonly keeps both clauses complete.
What does 迷っています mean here, and why is it in the -ている form?
迷う means to be puzzled, to hesitate, to be unsure, or to be torn.
The -ている form in 迷っています shows an ongoing state. So the speaker is not just hesitating at one single moment; they are currently in a state of indecision.
- 迷う = to hesitate / be unsure
- 迷っている = am hesitating / am undecided / am torn
So:
- 迷っています = I’m hesitating / I’m torn / I’m undecided
This use of -ている is very natural because indecision is a continuing state.
Why is there a に after シャツ in 青いシャツにする?
That に is part of the fixed pattern N にする.
It does not mean to in the usual English sense. Instead, it marks the thing you are choosing or deciding on.
So:
- 青いシャツにする = choose the blue shirt
- 白いシャツにする = choose the white shirt
You should learn にする as a chunk when it has this meaning.
A very common example:
- どちらにしますか。 = Which one will you choose?
- こちらにします。 = I’ll choose this one.
Why does the sentence start with この? Why not just 青いシャツ?
この means this and modifies the noun directly:
- この青いシャツ = this blue shirt
So the speaker is not talking about blue shirts in general, but a specific blue shirt nearby or already identified in the situation.
Without この, it would simply be:
- 青いシャツにするか、白いシャツにするか迷っています。
- I’m undecided whether to choose a/the blue shirt or a/the white shirt.
Using この makes the blue shirt more specific.
Why is この only used with 青いシャツ and not with 白いシャツ too?
Japanese often omits repeated information when it is obvious.
So even though only the first option explicitly says この, the second option may still be understood in context as the corresponding white shirt under consideration.
In other words, this can feel like:
- this blue shirt or the white shirt
If the speaker wanted to be fully parallel and explicit, they could say:
- この青いシャツにするか、この白いシャツにするか迷っています。
But that sounds more repetitive. Japanese often prefers the shorter version when the meaning is clear.
Why are 青い and 白い used instead of something like 青のシャツ?
青い and 白い are i-adjectives, and they directly modify the noun:
- 青いシャツ = blue shirt
- 白いシャツ = white shirt
This is the most straightforward and natural way to say it.
While expressions with の can exist in some cases, colors like 青い and 白い are normally used as adjectives before nouns.
So a learner should get comfortable with:
- 赤い車 = red car
- 黒い猫 = black cat
- 白いシャツ = white shirt
Is the comma necessary after the first か?
No, it is not grammatically necessary, but it is often used in writing to make the sentence easier to read.
So both are possible:
- この青いシャツにするか、白いシャツにするか迷っています。
- この青いシャツにするか白いシャツにするか迷っています。
The comma just helps show the pause between the two alternatives.
What is omitted in this sentence? Who is doing the hesitating?
The subject is omitted, which is very common in Japanese.
From context, the natural understanding is usually:
- 私は / 僕は / 俺は omitted
- I’m hesitating...
So the full idea is something like:
- (私は) この青いシャツにするか、白いシャツにするか迷っています。
Japanese leaves out subjects when they are already obvious from context. This is one of the most common features that English speakers have to get used to.
Could this sentence be translated as I’m wondering whether to go with this blue shirt or the white shirt?
Yes, that is a very natural translation.
Because 迷っています can express indecision, good English translations include:
- I’m hesitating between this blue shirt and the white shirt.
- I’m not sure whether to choose this blue shirt or the white shirt.
- I’m wondering whether to go with this blue shirt or the white shirt.
- I’m torn between this blue shirt and the white shirt.
These all capture the same basic idea, even if the wording differs.
Can 迷っています sound stronger than just I’m thinking about it?
Yes. 迷っています usually suggests real indecision or difficulty choosing, not just casual thought.
Compare:
- 考えています = I’m thinking about it
- 迷っています = I’m unsure / I’m torn / I’m hesitating
So in this sentence, the speaker is not merely considering the options; they are having trouble deciding between them.
Could you say 青いシャツか、白いシャツか迷っています without にする?
Yes, you can, and it is natural in many contexts.
- 青いシャツか、白いシャツか迷っています。
This means something like:
- I’m undecided between the blue shirt and the white shirt.
Adding にする makes the act of choosing more explicit:
- 青いシャツにするか、白いシャツにするか迷っています。
- I’m undecided about whether to choose the blue shirt or the white shirt.
So both are possible, but the version with にする emphasizes the decision more clearly.
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