modality N1 uncommon casualwritten
〜ものと思っていた — had assumed (mistakenly) that ~
〜ものと思っていた ・ ものとおもっていた
Builds on 〜ものと思う
Meaning
- had assumed that ~ / had taken it for granted that ~ — a past assumption, usually now revealed to be wrong
The past ていた form of ものと思う reports a belief the speaker held until reality corrected it. It almost always sets up a 'but actually…': 今日は休みだものと思っていた ('I'd assumed today was a day off' — implying it wasn't). It often pairs with てっきり ('I was certain'), and the unspoken twist is that the assumption proved mistaken.
Key sentence
てっきり彼も来るものと思っていた。
I'd been quite sure he'd come too (but he didn't).
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / adjective (plain); Noun + である | V/A(plain) + ものと思っていた | 終わった → 終わったものと思っていた |
When: Looks back on a default assumption that turned out to be wrong; the contradicting fact is usually stated or strongly implied.
Examples
会議は中止になったものと思っていたら、普通に開かれた。
I'd assumed the meeting was cancelled, but it went ahead as usual.
もう支払いは済んでいるものと思っていました。
I'd been under the impression the payment was already done.
Easily confused with
〜ものと思う The present ものと思う states an assumption the speaker currently holds; the past ものと思っていた typically frames it as a belief that has since been *overturned*. 〜はずだ はずだ is a reasoned expectation from evidence ('it should be ~'); ものと思っていた is a *default belief* the speaker held — and in the past form, one that turned out wrong.
Notes
- てっきり is the classic adverb pairing — てっきり〜ものと思っていた = 'I was absolutely certain that ~ (and was wrong)'.
See 〜ものと思っていた in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ものと思っていた 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.