Japanese with Manga

Arranged to assist in a lab with 〜ことになっている

Grammar Explanation: Past decision still in effect with 〜ことになっている

Manga panel from 美少女戦士セーラームーン showing example of Arranged to assist in a lab with 〜ことになっている.
美少女戦士セーラームーン » Volume 5 » Page 235

Reika sees an unknown person in the old lab next to her class’s. She asks to woman if she’s an assistant.

せつな:
「いえ　学生(がくせい)です理学部(りがくぶ)の」
“No, I'm a student, in the science department.”
「こちらの研究室(けんきゅうしつ)のお手伝(てつだ)いをさせて頂(いただ)くことになって」
“It's arranged for me to help out in this lab.”
Literal: “It has become the thing that I will be allowed to help with this lab.”

Key Points

1ことになって presents an arrangement
  • 〜ことになる says that a decision or arrangement has come about.
  • Here Setsuna explains her role as something already arranged, not as a sudden personal whim.
2させて頂く is humble and polite
  • お手伝いをさせて頂く literally frames the help as something she is allowed to do.
3The sentence trails off after なって
  • A fuller ending would be ことになっています or similar.
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