How A; so A; how much A!
An exclamatory statement at the end of a sentence, often shows a sense of 'wow', 'surprise', or 'being upset' at A
読書って、なんて楽しいことか。
What fun it is to read!
53
何処に居るだろう？何時間待たせて居ることか。
Where are you? You know how long you've made me wait?
3
29
其のライブのチケットを取れたらどんなに嬉しいことか。
How wonderful it would be if I could get that live ticket!
0
35
何度彼女と話そうと為たことか。でも、緊張の余り何も言えなかった。
How many times did I try to talk to her? But I was so nervous I couldn't say anything.
0
31
此の花はなんと綺麗なことか。
How pretty is this flower!
0
19
其の部屋はなんて寒かったことか。
How cold it was in the room!
0
8
彼女のスピーチはなんて上手いことか。
How very good her speech is!
0
6
私は両親のことでどれ程悩んだことか。
It's my parents, so I worried so much.
0
3
医者の力は、なんと立派なことか、と感激しました。
I was impressed with how splendid the doctor's ability was.
0
1
手術が無事に成功した時、彼女の両親はどんなに喜んだことか。
When the surgery was safe and successful, her parents were overjoyed.
0
11
家に帰れば愛する家族が居る、此れはなんて素晴らしいことか。
If I return home there's a family there that I love; this is such a splendid thing.
0
3
今、別れの言葉を告げたら、どれ程太郎を傷つけることか。
You will really hurt Taro if you tell him goodbye now.
0
4
貴方の産声を耳にした時、どんなに嬉しかったことか。
When I first heard you cry as a baby, I was so happy.
0
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
頑張った事か (How hard (I) tried)
知っている事か (how (well) (I) know)
小さい事か (how small)
奇麗な事か (how pretty)
Where this grammar is found
Grammar usage notes
Sentences that end with this often include 'question words' to give a meaning of 'how much' or 'so much'
どんなに (how much)
何回も (question word + counter) (how many times.....?)
Usually, the exact degree of how much or how often isn't spelled out in the sentence, which gives it the feeling of a question in that the statement is so strong that it can't be measured. Check out the model sentences for examples of this.
どんなに (how much)
何回も (question word + counter) (how many times.....?)
Usually, the exact degree of how much or how often isn't spelled out in the sentence, which gives it the feeling of a question in that the statement is so strong that it can't be measured. Check out the model sentences for examples of this.
For anyone working through 新完全マスター, this grammar point is listed there as ～ことだ。
It's explained in the same way, used at the end of a sentence to show surprise, strong impression/emotion, sarcasm; preceded by い・な adjectives.
That book also adds that it can also be preceded by special adjectives such as 困った.
Examples of other special adjectives (don't conjugate and are only used as noun modifiers) would be とんだ (surprising, awful, terrific), すぐれた (excellent, fine, superb), 大した (great, fabulous).
It's explained in the same way, used at the end of a sentence to show surprise, strong impression/emotion, sarcasm; preceded by い・な adjectives.
That book also adds that it can also be preceded by special adjectives such as 困った.
Examples of other special adjectives (don't conjugate and are only used as noun modifiers) would be とんだ (surprising, awful, terrific), すぐれた (excellent, fine, superb), 大した (great, fabulous).
新完全マスタ N2 文法 (p. 117) sets out this pattern with ～ことだろう as a possible alternative to ～ことか
【ことか】Conveys a sense of deep emotion. Means the emotion is so intense that it is difficult to specify its degree or amount.
「日本語文型辞典」(2015) p. 121
「日本語文型辞典」(2015) p. 121
Questions/Discussion
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