pretend to; contrary to the truth ~ (たことにする /たことになる) – Japanese Grammar たことにする /たことになる (ta koto ni suru / ta koto ni naru)

Q: What JLPT level is たことにする /たことになる?

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Q: How do you use たことにする /たことになる in a sentence?

Attach たことにする /たことになる to the appropriate verb or noun form. Pretend to; contrary to the truth ~

Q: Is たことにする /たことになる formal or casual Japanese?

たことにする /たことになる is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

たことにする /たことになる

N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

ta koto ni suru / ta koto ni naru

pretend to; contrary to the truth ~

た弾みに /た拍子に ta hazumi ni / ta hyoushi ni 切りがない kiri ga nai としたことが toshita koto ga やれ〜やれ yare~yare ものとして mono toshite でなくてなんだろう denakute nan darou もはや mohaya 手前 temae なしに / なしで nashi ni / nashi de 何しろ nani shiro とりわけ toriwake の至り no itari と相まって to aimatte を兼ねて o kanete かと思いきや ka to omoikiya ないまでも nai made mo んばかりに n bakari ni ときたら tokitara だろうに darou ni ぶる / ぶって / ぶった buru / butte / butta た弾みに /た拍子に ta hazumi ni / ta hyoushi ni 切りがない kiri ga nai としたことが toshita koto ga やれ〜やれ yare~yare ものとして mono toshite でなくてなんだろう denakute nan darou もはや mohaya 手前 temae なしに / なしで nashi ni / nashi de 何しろ nani shiro とりわけ toriwake の至り no itari と相まって to aimatte を兼ねて o kanete かと思いきや ka to omoikiya ないまでも nai made mo んばかりに n bakari ni ときたら tokitara だろうに darou ni ぶる / ぶって / ぶった buru / butte / butta

🃏 Flashcard

たことにする /たことになる

ta koto ni suru / ta koto ni naru

Tap to reveal usage

pretend to; contrary to the truth ~

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N1

Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Reading ta koto ni suru / ta koto ni naru

Post ID 51364

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

pretend to; contrary to the truth ~

📖 How to use it

Expresses treating something as if it happened (or didn't), contrary to the actual truth.

Attaches to Attach to the plain past tense (た-form) of a verb: たことにする / たことになる. The verb must be in past tense, e.g., 行ったことにする, 食べたことになる.

This pattern lets you declare that you will treat an event as if it occurred, even though it didn't, or vice versa. たことにする is a deliberate choice by the speaker: you decide to pretend. For example, if you skipped a meeting, you might say you'll 'make it that you attended' — meaning you'll act as if you were there. It's often used to save face or avoid hassle. たことになる is more about an external or logical conclusion: the situation results in being treated as if it happened, regardless of intention. For instance, if you cancel a trip, your prepaid tickets might 'become' as if they were never used — a fact you accept. Both are N1-level and appear more in written or formal speech, but you'll hear them in casual conversation too, especially たことにする when someone says they'll pretend something didn't happen.

昨日の会議には行ったことにして、資料は後で読もう。

Kinou no kaigi ni wa itta koto ni shite, shiryou wa ato de yomou.

Let's pretend I went to yesterday's meeting; I'll read the materials later.

彼はその話を聞かなかったことにして、何事もなかったように振る舞った。

Kare wa sono hanashi o kikanakatta koto ni shite, nanigoto mo nakatta you ni furumatta.

He pretended he hadn't heard that story and acted as if nothing had happened.

この書類を提出しなかったら、申請しなかったことになるよ。

Kono shorui o teishutsu shinakattara, shinsei shinakatta koto ni naru yo.

If you don't submit this document, it will be as if you never applied.

Not たつもりで (with the intention of having done) たことにする is about treating a past event as true or false for practical purposes, while たつもりで means you act with the mindset of having done something, often used to motivate yourself (e.g., 行ったつもりで貯金する: save money as if you'd gone on the trip).

Register Neutral but slightly formal; common in written Japanese and formal speech, though たことにする can appear in casual talk when joking or making excuses.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

たことにする /たことになる

📚 How to Master This Pattern

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Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat たことにする /たことになる three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

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Flip Before Reading

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Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using たことにする /たことになる. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

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Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns

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た弾みに /た拍子に

the moment [A], unintentionally caused something to happen

たところで

even if; no matter (who, what, when...)

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern たことにする /たことになる mean? ▼

Pretend to; contrary to the truth ~

What JLPT level is たことにする /たことになる? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use たことにする /たことになる in a sentence? ▼

Attach たことにする /たことになる (ta koto ni suru / ta koto ni naru) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is たことにする /たことになる formal or casual Japanese? ▼

たことにする /たことになる is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.

How can I remember たことにする /たことになる long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.