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!
35
どこにいるだろう？何時間待たせていることか。
Where are you? You know how long you've made me wait?
16
そのライブのチケットを取れたらどんなにうれしいことか。
How wonderful it would be if I could get that live ticket!
27
何度彼女と話そうとしたことか。でも、緊張のあま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.
18
この花はなんときれいなことか。
How pretty is this flower!
12
その部屋はなんて寒かったことか。
How cold it was in the room!
2
彼女のスピーチはなんて上手いことか。
How very good her speech is!
2
私は両親のことでどれほど悩んだことか。
It's my parents, so I worried so much.
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
頑張ったことか (How hard (I) tried)
知っていることか (how (well) (I) know)
小さいことか (how small)
きれいなことか (how pretty)
Where this grammar is found
User notes
Josefutaro
Level: 74
(1 year ago)
【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
0
火曜
Level: 34
(9 years ago)
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
0
火曜
Level: 34
(9 years ago)
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).
0
マイコー
Level: 262
(14 years ago)
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.
6
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