とする

The grammar pattern とする is used with the volitional form of a verb to express attempting to do something or being about to do something. The structure is V[volitional] + とする.

Attempting to do something

When someone tries or attempts to perform an action – often implying difficulty or that the attempt may not succeed – the volitional + とする pattern is used. The attempt frequently ends in failure, so it commonly appears with が or けど to introduce the contrasting result.

This is different from ～てみる, which means "try doing something (to see what happens)." ～ようとする emphasizes the effort or intention behind the attempt, whereas ～てみる focuses on the experience of trying.

Being about to do something

When combined with the past tense (〜～ようとした) or the progressive form (〜～ようとしている), this pattern can describe an action that was on the verge of happening or is just about to happen.

This "about to" usage often describes a moment interrupted by another event, using とき時 or ところ.

Negative usage: ～ようとしない

The negative form 〜～ようとしない means someone refuses to do or won't even try to do something, implying a deliberate lack of effort or willingness.