～ことになっている — It's The Rule
Expresses an established rule, arrangement, schedule, or social expectation that is currently in force: 'it is arranged/decided that ~' or 'the rule is that ~'. Unlike ことになった (which reports a one-time decision), the ている form stresses that the rule or plan is a standing state.
Structure
[Verb dictionary / ない-form] + ことになっている
Examples
会議は毎週月曜日に行うことになっている。
Kaigi wa maishuu getsuyoubi ni okonau koto ni natte iru.
The meeting is set to be held every Monday.
行う + ことになっている = standing arrangement/schedule
館内では写真を撮ってはいけないことになっている。
Kannai de wa shashin wo totte wa ikenai koto ni natte iru.
The rule is that you may not take photos inside the building.
撮ってはいけない + ことになっている = an in-force rule
明日は先生と会うことになっている。
Ashita wa sensei to au koto ni natte iru.
It's arranged that I'll meet the teacher tomorrow.
会う + ことになっている = a settled personal plan
• Stresses an ongoing rule/plan; ことになった reports the moment a decision was made. • Often used for regulations, customs, and schedules decided by others or by circumstance. • Compare 〜ことにしている, which is a personal habit one has chosen for oneself.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～ことになっている is tested against.
vs ことにしている
ことにしている is a self-imposed personal habit/policy ('I make it a rule to ~'); ことになっている is an external rule or arrangement decided by others or circumstances.
vs ことになった
ことになった reports the one-time event of a decision being reached; ことになっている describes the resulting rule as a continuing state.
More formal expressions
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