Different ways to "try"


I'm aware of two ways to say "try"

> 1) verb-てみる Try (for the first time) to see how it is
>
> 2) verb-vol とする

Now, I've seen it said that 2) is used when failure is involved e.g. I tried
to answer the phone but I didn't get there in time. But it thought it was more
generally used for "I'll attempt to do something and it will probably work out
fine, but there may be difficulties.

Yesterday I wrote this sentence:

> ちびまる子ちゃんという本を読もうとしています
>
> I'm trying to read a book called Chibi Maruko-chan.

Some people said the sentence was fine but I got two corrections:

> ちびまる子ちゃんという本を読もうと思って、読んでいます
>
> I think I will read ちびまる子ちゃん and I'm reading it (my literal translation)
>
> ちびまる子ちゃんという本を読もうと思っています
>
> I think I will read ちびまる子ちゃん (my literal translation)

I'm puzzled. What has "thinking about reading" got to do with "trying to
read"? Have I misunderstood how to use verb-vol とする? Thanks.




_Trying to read_ can sometimes be indistinguishable from _thinking of reading_
, in that you may not have started the act of reading at all. Maybe this
ambiguity prompted those “corrections”.

* * *

## 1. I was trying to read X, but it's out of print.

In this case, **読もうと思った** が絶版{ぜっぱん}だ is pretty much the same as **読もうとした**
が絶版だ. You are at the purely volitional stage, or _attempting to start_
reading, and not in the midst of reading. Then it can safely be rephrased as
_I was thinking of reading_ or _I was going to read_.

Many uses of 〜ようとする are in this category, where you can replace it with 〜と思う
without consequence. For example, these sentences are basically the same, so
much that it would be inappropriate to translate it as _trying_ :

> 出かけ **ようとした** ら雨{あめ}が降って{ふって}きたのでやめた  
>  出かけ **ようと思った** ら雨が降ってきたのでやめた  
>  _I was going to leave but then it started raining so I didn't._

* * *

## 2. I was trying to read X, and I had trouble with this sentence.

When you have clearly started reading, 読もうと思う is obviously not a suitable
choice. 読もうとする is not wrong, but if you want to make it absolutely clear that
you are in the attempt of reading (and not just attempting to start reading),
you can also say something like:

> ちびまる子ちゃんという本を読むのに挑戦{ちょうせん}しています

This can have the nuance of trying something new or challenging, and doesn't
have to be as weighty as a _challenge_ per se. 新しい食べ物に挑戦しよう ( _Let's try a new
food_ ), いつもは聴かない{きかない}音楽{おんがく}に挑戦した ( _I tried some music I don't usually
listen to_ ), etc.




_Trying to read_ can sometimes be indistinguishable from _thinking of reading_
, in that you may not have started the act of reading at all. Maybe this
ambiguity prompted those “corrections”.

* * *

## 1. I was trying to read X, but it's out of print.

In this case, **読もうと思った** が絶版{ぜっぱん}だ is pretty much the same as **読もうとした**
が絶版だ. You are at the purely volitional stage, or _attempting to start_
reading, and not in the midst of reading. Then it can safely be rephrased as
_I was thinking of reading_ or _I was going to read_.

Many uses of 〜ようとする are in this category, where you can replace it with 〜と思う
without consequence. For example, these sentences are basically the same, so
much that it would be inappropriate to translate it as _trying_ :

> 出かけ **ようとした** ら雨{あめ}が降って{ふって}きたのでやめた  
>  出かけ **ようと思った** ら雨が降ってきたのでやめた  
>  _I was going to leave but then it started raining so I didn't._

* * *

## 2. I was trying to read X, and I had trouble with this sentence.

When you have clearly started reading, 読もうと思う is obviously not a suitable
choice. 読もうとする is not wrong, but if you want to make it absolutely clear that
you are in the attempt of reading (and not just attempting to start reading),
you can also say something like:

> ちびまる子ちゃんという本を読むのに挑戦{ちょうせん}しています

This can have the nuance of trying something new or challenging, and doesn't
have to be as weighty as a _challenge_ per se. 新しい食べ物に挑戦しよう ( _Let's try a new
food_ ), いつもは聴かない{きかない}音楽{おんがく}に挑戦した ( _I tried some music I don't usually
listen to_ ), etc.

