Both やる and する can express doing an activity, but their register and combinations differ.

The idea

宿題をします and 宿題をやります both mean doing homework. する is a neutral choice in many settings; やる often sounds more casual or direct, even in the polite form やります. Some nouns form verbs with する, as in 電話します. やる can also mean giving food to an animal.

Patterns to compare
FormExample
します宿題しゅくだいをします
やります宿題しゅくだいをやります
やりますえさをやります

Examples

  • 私わたしは宿題しゅくだいをします。I do my homework.
  • 妹いもうとは宿題しゅくだいをやっています。My younger sister is doing her homework.
  • 週末しゅうまつに友達ともだちとサッカーをします。I play football with a friend at the weekend.
  • あとでゲームをやります。I will play a game later.
  • 先生せんせいに電話でんわします。I call the teacher.
  • 猫ねこにえさをやります。I feed the cat.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

やる is not automatically rude, and する is not always formal; context and relationships matter. Do not use the giving sense of やる toward a superior: choose an appropriate respectful expression instead.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the more neutral wording for doing homework. 宿題しゅくだいを＿＿。（します／やります）

    Show answer or example answer

    します

    します is the neutral choice requested; やります is also possible but more casual.

  2. Choose the usual verb for making a call. 先生せんせいに電話でんわ＿＿。（します／やります）

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    します

    電話します is the ordinary combination for making a telephone call.

  3. Choose the verb meaning to give food to an animal. 猫ねこにえさを＿＿。（やります／します）

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    やります

    えさをやります means giving an animal food; here やる is not “do”.

Use it today

Describe homework and a game using these verbs, then choose a neutral way to tell a teacher you will make a call.