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要するに (you suru ni) Meaning Japanese Grammar - In Short

Author Anna Baffa Volpe for article '要するに (you suru ni) Meaning Japanese Grammar - In Short'

Anna Baffa Volpe

The expression (よう)するに (you suru ni) means in a word, in short or in conclusion, to sum it up.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of (よう)するに, how it is formed, and when (よう)するに is used through real example sentences.

We also analyze the similarities and the differences among 要するに, すなわち and つまり.


How (よう)するに is formed

The expression (よう)するに is generally used at the beginning of a sentence, but can also be found within it.

It is formed by:

  • (よう) indicating the need, the main point
  • the verb する meaning do
  • and the particle に

to put it simply, in short

(よう)するに at the beginning of the sentence

(よう)するに+phrase

(よう)するに(かれ)()(ちが)っていたのです。

In short, he was wrong.

(よう)するに、ここでレースを(おこな)うわけだ。

In short, this is where the race takes place.

(よう)するに within the sentence

あなたが()いたいことは(よう)するに、(かね)がほしいということでしょう。

In short, what you're trying to say is that you want money.

(いろ)々な()(わけ)もあるだろうが、(よう)するにこれはあなたの(せき)(にん)なのだ。

There may be many excuses, but in essence this is your responsibility.

How and when to use (よう)するに

(よう)するに is used to summarize briefly the main points of what the speaker (はな)() or the interlocutor ()() has said.

(よう)するに is used in order to sum up and make clear the conclusion of the speech.

(わたし)(しん)(ぶん)やテレビ(ほう)(どう)(まった)くみていないが、(だい)(たい)のニュースは(ない)(よう)までほぼ()(あく)している。(よう)するに、(じょう)(ほう)をテレビや(しん)(ぶん)ではなくインターネットで()(あく)しているということ。

I don't see any newspaper or TV reports, but I know the content of most news. In other words, I get the informations from the Internet rather than from television or newspapers.

(よう)するに(きみ)(なに)()いたいのかね。

In short, what are you trying to say?

(はなし)(ない)(よう)(かく)(にん)する: checking whether we have understood the speech is a goal of (よう)するに, but beware of the advice that follows. From a video about the effective use of language:

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(こん)(かい)は「(よう)は」や「(よう)するに」が(くち)(ぐせ)(ひと)(はん)(かん)()()(のう)(せい)があるので(ちゅう)()しましょうという(はなし)です。

This time, I'm going to tell you that people who have the habit of saying ``in a word'' or ``in short'' should be careful, as they may provoke antipathy.

At a colloquial level we can simply hear (よう)は instead of (よう)するに.

What is advised is to use this expression appropriately, e.g. it might be indelicate towards a superior (じょう)() who is talking about a matter; our summary expressed after (よう)するに might not match what our superior has actually said.

It may seem like a way of interrupting the speech or it may convey to the interlocutor that we are not really listening carefully and want to come to a conclusion (けつ)(ろん) soon.

Similarities and Differences among (よう)するに, すなわち and つまり

(よう)するに」,「すなわち」and「つまり」are conjunctive elements and share a common structure:

  • A (よう)するに B

  • A すなわち B

  • A つまり B What differs among the three elements is the degree of objectivity or subjectivity of A and B. Do A and B represent two objective situations or is there the involvement, opinion or interpretation of the speaker? A short representation of the 3:

  • 「すなわち」Objective

  • 「つまり」 most commonly used for objective situations

  • (よう)するに」Subjective

    Let us see in detail what we mean:

  • すなわち is used when the preceding and following sentences express an objective situation without the opinion or interpretation of the speaker; like a mathematical expression: A = B; when talking about an evidence.

(ちち)(あに)、すなわち(わたし)()()

My father's brother, i.e. my uncle

We can use in the same sentence つまり, but not (よう)するに In colloquial context, it is used more frequently つまり

(かれ)今日(きょう)から2(しゅう)(かん)()、つまり10(がつ)29(にち)(かえ)ってくる。

He will be back two weeks from today, that is, on October 29th.

  • (よう)するに is used when between A and B there is not always a situation of parity; the speaker summarises or comes to a conclusion B according to his own point of view, thus the situation expressed is subjective. The phrase B that follows (よう)するに often represents the explanation of A:

(かれ)()いたいことは(よう)するに、(にん)(げん)(かん)(けい)(だい)(せつ)にしようということです。

In short, what he wants to say is to value human relationships.

Expressions similar to すなわち and つまり

Let's see a series of expressions that translate the two elements すなわち and つまり:

  • (かん)(たん)()うと: if I have to put it simply

  • (ひと)(こと)()うと: if I have to say it in one word

  • (かん)(けつ)()うと: if I have to say it concisely

  • わかりやすく()えば: if I have to put it in an understandable way

    ⇨ in short, in other words, in summary

Examples of (よう)するに

(よう)するに()(ども)(きょう)(いく)するのは(ほう)(ほう)ではない。(ひと)なのだ。

In short, it is not the method that educates the child. It is the person.

(よう)するに、日本(にほん)(じん)はシャイっていうことだ。

In short, Japanese people are shy.

(やま)()さんから(ほん)(じつ)(たい)調(ちょう)(わる)いという(れん)(らく)(はい)りました。(よう)するに(やま)()さんは、今日(きょう)(けっ)(せき)するということです。

I received a call from Mr. Yamada today saying that he is not feeling well. In short, Mr Yamada will be absent today.

(よう)するに(べん)(きょう)をしろということだ。

In short, I want you to study.