► 終助詞
こと [こと] [liter] [junior] meaning: command rank: 3
☆ 宿題は明日の朝一番に提出のこと ⇨ The homework must be submitted the first thing tomorrow morning (☛ Sounds patronizing, like a school teacher)
☆ 手を触れないこと ⇨ Do not touch (☛ Sounds patronizing, like a school teacher)
こと [こと] [coll] [女] meaning: question rank: 4
☆ いいこと？ ⇨ You understood? You agree? (☛ Sounds very old-fashioned)
こと [こと] [coll] [女] meaning: suggest rank: 4
☆ もう行きませんこと？ ⇨ Why don’t we get going now? (☛ Sounds very old-fashioned)
こと [こと] [coll] [女] meaning: surprise rank: 4
☆ なんて失礼だこと！ ⇨ How rude! (☛ Sounds very old-fashioned)
☆ まあ、可愛い赤ちゃんだこと！ ⇨ Oh, what a cute baby! (☛ Sounds very old-fashioned)
► 成句
事 [(2)こと] [事にする] [coll] meaning: decide rank: 1
☆ ホンダ・シビックを買う事にした ⇨ I decided to buy a Honda Civic
☆ もうちょっと待つ事にしよう ⇨ Let’s wait a little longer
☆ 今回は止める事にした ⇨ I decided not to do it this time
☆ 私達は明日出発する事にした ⇨ We decided to leave tomorrow
事 [(2)こと] [事になる] [coll] meaning: decide rank: 1
☆ 試合は延期される事になった ⇨ It was decided to postpone the game (☛ Someone else, or a group including you, to decide)
事 [(2)こと] [事はない] [coll] meaning: need rank: 1
☆ あいつに謝る事なんかない ⇨ There is no need to apologize to him (☛ Only in negative as “事はない”)
☆ そんなに怒る事ないでしょう ⇨ You don’t have to be that upset (☛ Only in negative as “事はない”)
☆ 別に慌てる事はない ⇨ There is no need to panic (☛ Only in negative as “事はない”)
事 [(2)こと] [長い事] meaning: time rank: 1
☆ 彼にもう長い事会っていない ⇨ I haven’t seen him for a long while (☛ You don’t say 短い事)
事 [(2)こと] [事にする] meaning: assume rank: 2
☆ 取り敢えずはそういう事にしておこう ⇨ OK, let’s assume that is the case for now
事 [(2)こと] [という事] meaning: indirect speech rank: 2
☆ 会議は延期になったという事です ⇨ I was told that the meeting had been postponed
☆ 彼は来れないという事だ ⇨ I heard he was not coming
事 [(2)こと] [事にする] meaning: pretend rank: 2
☆ この話は無かった事にして下さい ⇨ Please pretend this deal didn’t exist. Please void and forget this deal
☆ この話は聞かなかった事にするよ ⇨ I pretend I didn’t hear what you just said
☆ 今の話は聞かなかった事にして下さい ⇨ Please pretend you didn’t hear what I just said
☆ 彼は知らなかった事にしようとした ⇨ He tried to pretend that he hadn’t known about it
☆ 既に起こった事を無かった事にする訳には行かない ⇨ We cannot pretend something that already has happened didn’t happen
事 [(2)こと] [事が運ぶ] meaning: progress rank: 2
☆ トントン拍子に事が運んだ ⇨ Things progressed smoothly and quickly
事 [(2)こと] [ない事には] [coll] meaning: unless rank: 2
☆ 自分の目で確かめない事には何とも言えない ⇨ I can’t say anything definitive unless I make sure with my own eyes
☆ 試してみない事には分からない ⇨ You never know unless you try
事 [(2)こと] [良い事に] meaning: exploit rank: 3
☆ 彼は誰も反対出来ないのを良い事に、憲法を自分の都合の良いように変えた ⇨ He changed the constitution for his favor, taking advantage of the fact that nobody can oppose him
事 [(2)こと] [事もあろうに] meaning: of all rank: 3
☆ 事もあろうに葬式の場であんなことをするなんて信じられない ⇨ I cannot believe he did that during the funeral of all occasions (☛ Always negative connotations)
事 [(2)こと] [事も無げに] meaning: calm rank: 4
☆ 彼は今日仕事を辞めたと事も無げに言った ⇨ He said he’d quit his job today matter-of-factly, like no big deal
事 [(2)こと] [とした事が] meaning: unexpected rank: 4
☆ 私とした事が何と初歩的な失敗をしてしまったのだろう ⇨ I cannot believe myself that I made such a rookie mistake (☛ When someone who is considered very capable makes a bad mistake unexpectedly, and often disappointingly)
► 名詞
事 [(2)こと] meaning: business rank: 1
☆ 人の事に口出しするな ⇨ Don’t interfere with other people’s affairs
☆ 自分の事は自分でやれよ ⇨ It is your problem, you take care of it
事 [(2)こと] meaning: gerund rank: 1
☆ そのように考える事は難しい ⇨ Thinking that way is difficult. It is difficult to think that way (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
☆ 一旦予約したら変更する事は出来ない ⇨ Changing is now allowed once you make a reservation (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
☆ 今それを約束する事は出来ない ⇨ Promising that now is impossible for me. I can’t promise that right now (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
☆ 捕虜はトイレを使う事すら許されなかった ⇨ Not even using toilets was not allowed for the POWs (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
☆ 日頃から体を鍛える事が大切だ ⇨ Working out on a regular basis is important (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
☆ 未来を予測する事は不可能だ ⇨ Predicting the future is impossible (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
☆ 物価は上がるだけで下がる事はない ⇨ The prices only go up, and going down never happens. They never go down (☛ Make the preceding verb function as a noun)
事 [(2)こと] meaning: occasion rank: 1
☆ こんな大きな林檎は見た事がない ⇨ I’ve never seen such a big apple
☆ 彼とは会った事がある ⇨ I met him before
☆ 私はスキーはした事がない ⇨ I’ve never skied, tried skiing
☆ 私はそう思った事はない ⇨ I’ve never thought so
☆ 自殺を考えた事は何度かある ⇨ There have been a couple of times I thought about suicide
事 [(2)こと] meaning: problem rank: 1
☆ 事が起きてからでは遅い ⇨ It will be too late once a problem develops
事 [(2)こと] [事ある毎] meaning: problem rank: 1
☆ うちの両親は事ある毎に大喧嘩をした ⇨ My parents had had big fights every time something came up
事 [(2)こと] meaning: regarding rank: 1
☆ お母さんはあなたの事を心配している ⇨ You mother is worried about you
☆ その事は話したくない ⇨ I don’t want to talk about that
☆ 仕事の事は忘れて楽しもう ⇨ Let’s forget about the work and have some fun
☆ 彼の事はもう忘れた ⇨ I stopped thinking about him. I got him out of my mind
事 [(2)こと] meaning: situation rank: 1
☆ あそこの息子さんが病気で大変な事になったらしい ⇨ I heard their son has been in a serious condition with some disease (☛ An undesirable situation)
☆ こんな事になるとは想像もしていなかった ⇨ I didn’t even imagine things would turn out like this (☛ An undesirable situation)
☆ まずい事になった ⇨ Things have gone wrong. We’re in trouble (☛ An undesirable situation)
事 [(2)こと] meaning: that rank: 1
☆ もう彼には会わない事にした ⇨ I decided that I wouldn’t see him again (☛ Used like a relative pronoun “that”)
☆ それはやってやれない事はない ⇨ It is not that it is impossible to do it, if you really try (☛ Used like a relative pronoun “that”. Note the example does NOT mean “nothing is impossible”)
事 [(2)こと] meaning: thing rank: 1
☆ 今から言う事をよく聞けよ ⇨ Listen carefully to the things that I am about to tell you
☆ 余計な事を心配するな ⇨ Don’t worry about things you don’t have to worry
☆ 余計な事を言うな ⇨ Don’t say unsolicited opinions
☆ 変な事考えないでよ ⇨ Don’t think of anything weird. Don’t get any ideas
☆ 変な事言わないでよ ⇨ Don’t say weird things. Don’t talk nonsense
☆ 大切な事は皆が無事という事だ ⇨ The important thing is everybody is safe
事 [(2)こと] [な事に] meaning: thing rank: 1
☆ 不思議な事に誰も変化に気が付かなかった ⇨ The strange thing is, nobody noticed the change
☆ 残念な事に殆どの知識は失われてしまった ⇨ The unfortunate thing is, most of the knowledge has been lost
☆ 面白い事に二人は同じ日に生まれた ⇨ The interesting thing is, they were born on the same day
事 [(2)こと] [事はない] meaning: thing rank: 1
☆ 試して悪い事はない ⇨ There is nothing wrong in trying. It doesn’t hurt to try
古都 [(1)こと] meaning: city rank: 4
☆ 古都の旅 ⇨ A trip to the ancient capital (☛ An ancient important city with old architectures preserved)
琴 [(1)こと] meaning: harp rank: 4
☆ 彼女は琴を弾く ⇨ She plays the (Japanese) harp
異 [(2)こと] [異にする] [liter] meaning: different rank: 4
☆ 彼と私は意見を異にする ⇨ He and I have a difference in opinion
More examples:
- 経営陣は労働者の間に信頼を醸成することに努力してきた ⇨ The management has been working to foster trust between the workers and them
- そういうやり方では人を動かすことは出来ない ⇨ You won’t be able to motivate people that way
- 彼は金に不自由したことが生まれて一度もない ⇨ He has never had money problem since he was born, in his wife
- そんなことは有り得ない ⇨ That is impossible. That cannot happen. That cannot be
- 激しい運動の後は水分を補給することが必要だ ⇨ It is necessary to replenish water after hard exercise
- 外国に行ったらそこの習慣を尊重することが必要だ ⇨ When you go to a foreign country it is necessary to respect the local customs
- 私はちらっとそのことを考えた ⇨ I thought about it for a second
- 彼は新しい環境に順応することが出来ないでいる ⇨ He has not been able to adapt to the new environment
- 彼はよいしょされていることに気が付いていない ⇨ He is not aware that he is being flattered, manipulated by flattery
- 大統領は彼のことを真の愛国者と褒め称えた ⇨ The president praised him as a true patriot
- 行く先々で同じことを聞かれる ⇨ Wherever I go people ask me the same question
- 日本では会計年度は四月に始まることが多い ⇨ An accounting year often starts on April in Japan
- 他の子供達が寄ってたかって彼のことを苛めた ⇨ Other children gathered and took turns at bullying him
- それは自らの首を締めることになる ⇨ That will strangle your own neck. That will hurt yourself
- 私が子供の頃は外国のことを見聞きすることは余りなかった ⇨ When I was a child I didn’t see or hear much about foreign countries