nominalizer N4 essential casualpolitewritten
こと — turning a clause into a noun
こと
Meaning
- the act / fact of ~ — nominalizes a verb or clause so it can act as a noun (≈ 'that…' / '-ing')
Key sentence
本を読むことが好きだ。
I like reading books.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clause (plain / adnominal form) | plain verb / clause + こと | 泳ぐ → 泳ぐこと |
Examples
毎日運動することが大切だ。
Exercising every day is important.
彼が来ないことを知っていた。
I knew that he wasn't coming.
When you can't use it
- With verbs of direct perception (見る, 聞く, 感じる), use の, not こと: 子どもが歌うのを聞いた ✓, never ×歌うことを聞いた. こと is for abstract or reported facts, の for concrete, witnessed events.
Easily confused with
Notes
- こと also anchors many set patterns covered separately: 〜たことがある (have done before), ことができる (can), ことにする (decide to).
See こと in real sentences
Jengo shows こと the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.