modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜ことだ — should ~ (advice)
〜ことだ ・ ことだ
Builds on こと
Meaning
- should ~ / the thing to do is ~ / best to ~ — pointed, hands-on advice for reaching a goal
Key sentence
上手になりたければ、毎日練習することだ。
If you want to get good, the thing to do is practice every day.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb (dictionary / negative) | V(dict)／V-ない + ことだ | 練習することだ / 無理をしないことだ |
Examples
風邪のときは、無理をせずゆっくり休むことだ。
When you have a cold, the best thing is to rest and not push yourself.
文句があるなら、本人に直接言うことだ。
If you have a complaint, you should tell the person directly.
成功したければ、まず行動することだ。
If you want to succeed, the first thing is to take action.
When you can't use it
- This advisory ことだ attaches to a verb and gives direct, somewhat authoritative advice — it can sound teacherly, so it's for a speaker in a position to counsel. It does not take past tense or noun predicates in this sense.
Easily confused with
See 〜ことだ in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ことだ the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.