This means you are trying to do something. It also means you are making an effort to do it.
Verb [volitional form] + と + するPrimary
This means you are trying to do something. It also means you are making an effort to do it.
ケーキを食べようとしたら、弟に全部食べられていた。
When I was about to eat the cake, I found my little brother had already eaten it all.
太陽が沈もうとしている。空が赤く染まってきた。
The sun is about to set. The sky has started to turn red.
彼を説得しようとしたが、考えを変えさせることはできなかった。
I tried to persuade him, but I couldn't make him change his mind.
新しいビジネスモデルを導入しようとしています。
We are trying to introduce a new business model.
このドアは、何度押そうとしてもびくともしない。
No matter how many times I try to push this door, it won't budge.
This grammar shows something is just about to happen. Think of it like a spring coiling up, ready to pop. It's used for things that happen naturally, like flowers blooming.
This is different from "〜てみる" (te miru). "〜てみる" means you do something to see what happens. "〜ようとする" means you just try to do it. You might not even start the action. For example, "ドアを開けようとした" means you tried to open the door. You might not have touched it. "ドアを開けてみた" means you actually opened the door. You did it to see if it worked. Also, "〜ようとしない" means you do not even try at all.
Use this when you want to say you were about to do something. Then, something else happened. It shows an action that got stopped. It often adds a surprise to your story.
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