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Look at the picture: each night, he reminds himself to try not to eat late at night.

Lesson notes · ≈ JLPT N4 · Intermediate 1

〜ないようにしています~nai you ni shite imasu

mindful effort to avoid

Use 「〜ないようにしています」 to describe a mindful effort to avoid an action in daily life.

How it works

Look at the picture: each night, he reminds himself to try not to eat late at night.
You keep making a conscious effort in daily life to avoid an action or a state.
Add 「ようにしています」 after the verb’s ない form: 食べない＋ようにしています.
The focus is on staying mindful and trying to avoid it; this does not guarantee that it has never happened.
In the example, 「飲みすぎない」 means avoiding drinking too much. Notice what is being negated.

So this sentence does not necessarily mean avoiding cold drinks entirely; it may simply mean limiting how much you drink.

夜よるyoru遅くおそくosokuにni食べないようにしたべないようにしtabenaiyounishiてteいます。imasu。
I try not to eat late at night.
冷たいつめたいtsumetai物ものmonoをo飲みのみnomiすぎないようにしsuginaiyounishiてteいます。imasu。
I make sure not to drink too many cold things.

A
最近、さいきん、少しすこし太っふとってしまって困っこまっています。
A: Lately, I've gained a bit of weight and I'm troubled by it.
B
それなら、間食かんしょくで甘いあまいものを食べないようにしたべないようにしていますか。
B: In that case, do you try not to eat sweets as snacks?
A
いいえ、これからはわ糖分とうぶんを摂りとりすぎないようにしています。
A: No, from now on, I will make sure not to consume too much sugar.

Level 1 · Recognise
Which sentence is correct?
Level 1 · Recognise
Listen and choose the meaning
Level 2 · Build
Put the words in order
For my health, I try not to eat too many sweets as snacks.
Level 3 · Use
What goes in the blank?
夜遅くに____。
I try not to eat late at night.