Japanese Grammar Bank

HOW TO USE こと AND もの

こと and もの are unique expressions you can use to express various things.

Some people call them generic nouns, because they themselves don’t have a particular meaning, but take an important part in context.

It is a little similar to the English word “thing”.

WHAT ARE こと AND もの

Simply put, こと is used for intangible things like something you can experience, and もの is used for tangible things like something you can possess.

By using these expressions, you can turn non-nouns to noun.

Intangible thing

japaneseromajienglish
取り組みたいことTorikumi tai kotoSomething I want to try
考え事Kangae gotoSomething to think about
悩み事nayami gotoSomething I am anxious about
心配事Shinpai gotoSomething to worry about
悲しいことKanashii kotoSomething to make me feel sad

Tangible thing

japaneseromajienglish
JapaneseRomajiEnglish
食べ物TabemonoSomething to eat
飲み物NomimonoSomething to drink
買いたいものKaitai monoThings I want to buy
甘いものAmai monoSomething sweet
辛いものKarai monoSomething spicy

USING こと WITH NOUNS

As we mentioned earlier, こと can turn non-nouns into nouns. For example, let’s see how it works with verbs.

PATTERN

Verb (plain form) + こと

When you place こと after a verb, this verb will be treated as a noun.

It is similar to adding “to” before verbs in English.

走ることが父の趣味です。Hashiru koto ga chichi no shumi desu.Running is my dad’s hobby.
お酒を飲み過ぎることは体に良くありません。Osake wo nomi sugiru koto wa karada ni yoku arimasen.Drinking too much alcohol is not good for health.
富士山に登ることが私の目標です。Fujisan ni noboru koto ga watashi no mokuhyou desu.Climbing Mt. Fuji is my goal.
View More Examples
大声で歌を歌うことはストレス発散になります。Ogoe de uta wo utau koto wa sutoresu hassan ni narimasu.Singing a song with loud voice releases my stress.
私は人から注目されることが嫌いです。Watashi wa hito kara chuumoku sareru koto ga kirai desu.I don’t like getting people’s attention.
おいしいご飯を食べることはわたしの人生の楽しみの一つです。Oishii gohan wo taberu koto wa watashi no jinsei no tanoshimi no hitotsu desu.Eating tasty food is one of the highlights of my life.

You may find it interesting that you can replace こと with の.

Let’s see the same sentence patterns but now we put の instead of こと. The meaning remains the same.

走るのが父の趣味です。Hashiru no ga chichi no shumi desu.Running is my dad’s hobby.
お酒を飲み過ぎるのは体に良くありません。Osake wo nomi sugiru no wa karada ni yoku arimasen.Drinking too much alcohol is not good for health.
富士山に登るのが私の目標です。Fujisan ni noboru no ga watashi no mokuhyou desu.Climbing Mt. Fuji is my goal.

USING ADJECTIVES & NOUNS WITH こと

Can we use こと with adjectives and nouns? The answer is YES! The rule for adjectives is very simple.

You just need to add こと after each adjective. But, the conjugation for nouns works differently. Let’s see the pattern of use.

PATTERN

な adjective + こと
い adjective + こと
Noun + である + こと

*For nouns, you need to add である in between nouns and こと.

親切なことは素敵です。Shinsetsu na kotow a suteki desu.Being kind is nice.
特別なことではありません。Tokubetsu na koto dewa arimasen.This is not something special.
新しいことに挑戦したいです。Atarashii koto ni chousen shitai desu.I want to challenge something new.
View More Examples
忙しいことはいいことです。Isogashii koto wa ii koto desu.Being busy is good.
息子が医者であることを誇りに思う。Musuko ga isha de aru koto wo hokori ni omou.I am proud of my son as he is being a doctor.
彼は歌手であることを隠しています。Kare wa kashu de aru koto wo kakushite imasu.He is hiding the fact that he is being a singer.

HOW TO USE もの

You can use もの to express ideal and essential states. Let’s see how it works from the pattern of use and sentence examples.

PATTERN

Verb + ものだ/ものです
い adjective + ものだ/ものです
な adjective + ものだ/ものです

赤ちゃんはかわいいものです。Akachan wa kawaii mono desu.Baby is someone very cute.
月日が経つのは早いものです。Tsukihi ga tatsu nowa hayai mono desu.Time flies by so quickly.
交通ルールは従うべきものです。Koutsuu ruuru wa shitagau beki mono desu.Traffic rules are something you have to follow.
View More Examples
学生はたくさん本を読むものです。Gakusei wa takusan hon wo yomu mono desu.Students must be the ones that read a lot of books.
人間は誰でも間違いをするものです。Ningen wa dare demo machigai wo suru mono desu.Human is the one who makes mistakes.
子供は早く寝るものです。Kodomo wa hayaku neru mono desu.The child should sleep early.

Learn Japanese with FlexiClasses

Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.

REGISTER

FAQs

What is the difference between こと and もの?

こと refers to intangible concepts, actions, or events, while もの refers to tangible objects or physical things.

Can こと and もの be used in the same sentence?

While rare, it is possible in cases where both abstract and concrete elements are described. For example, “考えることと感じるものは違う” (Kangaeru koto to kanjiru mono wa chigau – “What you think and what you feel are different”).

How to use こと for specificity in Japanese?

こと can be used to refer to specific actions, events, or concepts, often functioning as a nominalizer or a way to make abstract ideas more specific.

Are there any common expressions that use もの to show specificity?

Yes, phrases like 大切なもの (taisetsu na mono – “important thing”) or 忘れられないもの (wasurerarenai mono – “something unforgettable”) are examples where もの is used to specify tangible things.

Can こと and もの be used interchangeably?

No, they cannot. Their meanings and contexts differ, so it is essential to understand whether you are describing something abstract (こと) or concrete (もの).

Can I study Japanese with LTL?

Absolutely! We offer group and individual classes in Tokyo.

If you’d prefer to learn Japanese from the comfort of your home, you should have a look at our online lessons on Flexi Classes (we even have a 7 day free trial!)

MORE FREE LESSONS