Confusion on use of する with adverbs


I'm a little confused as to the role that する is playing in phrases like
はっきりとした and はっきりしている I know this is classed as a する verb, but it still doesn't
make sense in the same way that nouns used with する do. How exactly do you
translate these instances? Any answers appreciated, thanks.




The best translation of this usage of する would depend on the preceding adverb
and the context.

With はっきり, it would be either "become" or "turn". The same goes for other
adverbs such as しっとり、くっきり, etc. that, as はっきり, describe a state of a non-
animate thing.

With adverbs like すっきり、どきどき、すかっと that describe a human sensation, "feel" would
be the verb choice for translation.

BTW, you probably have a good book and/or teacher because you are using the
word "adverb" correctly in discussing Japanese grammar. I say this because I
have met so many Japanese learners who call words like はやく and たかく "adverbs"
when those are merely conjugated adjectives.

