0

Normally, when I see ～ことになる I translate it as "it is / has been decided that ～". However, in these few sentences the usage of ことになる is rather peculiar:

次期ＯＳ（ウインドウズ）の発売に合わせてパソコンを買い換えたいのですが、いつですか？ 来年後半らしいけど、延びる可能性もあるかもね。だから２年位待つことになるかな。

It's a snippet from BCCWJ, yahoo database. I am unsure if it's a dialogue or monologue (speaker contemplating the possibility of Windows being delayed) or what the exact function of ことになる is in the third sentence.

I translated the whole thing as:

"I'd like to buy a new computer along with new release of OS (Windows), but when? It seems it'll be released by the half of the next year, but there's a possibility it'll be delayed. I'll wait for about 2 years."

ajsmart
  • 7,109
  • 3
  • 22
  • 48
Jan
  • 201
  • 1
  • 4

1 Answers1

4

There's nothing particularly peculiar about ～ことになる in your snippet. That expression isn't limited to decisions, it simply expresses the logical result or consequence of a given action or state of affairs.

In your snippet, the polite phrasing at the end of the question suggests a dialogue, so I'd translate it as:

I'd like to buy a new computer along with the next OS (Windows) release. When will that be? It's apparently coming out in the latter half of next year, but it could be delayed, so I guess you might end up waiting about two years.

The ことになる simply expresses that a delay in the release will result in a wait of about two years.

Philippe
  • 911
  • 4
  • 6