Japanese with Manga

Scheduled to stay the night 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 ふだつきのキョーコちゃん showing example of Scheduled to stay the night with 〜ことになっている.
ふだつきのキョーコちゃん » Volume 5 » Page 110

After a day playing at the beach, Hikari asks Shindou when someone is coming to pick everyone up. Shindou says it will be “tomorrow evening”.

神藤(しんどう):
「今日(きょう)はウチの別荘(べっそう)に泊(と)まることになっているって言(い)っただろう？」
“Didn't I say we're scheduled to stay the night at my villa?”
Literal: “I said that today it has become the thing that we're staying at my villa, right?”

Key Points

1泊まることになっている means the arrangement is already set
  • The group is scheduled to stay at Shindou’s villa tonight.
  • The pattern points to an existing plan, not a decision being made in this moment.
2って言っただろう reminds the listener
  • Shindou says he already told them this.
  • だろう expects Hikari to recognize or remember the information.
3今日は frames the specific time
  • 今日(きょう)は limits the arrangement to tonight.
  • Tomorrow evening pickup only makes sense because tonight has already been decided.

See Also

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