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JLPT N4Grammar Patterns

こと— Nominalizer (turning verbs into nouns)

こと nominalizes verbs and clauses, turning them into noun phrases so a verb/clause can act as subject, object, or topic. Compare with の, which feels more immediate and emotional.

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Pro lessonUNIT 28 · GRAMMAR PATTERNS

Structure · 形

[Verb dictionary / plain form] + こと

Examples · 例文

  • 日本語を話すことは難しいです。

    Nihongo wo hanasu koto wa muzukashii desu.

    Speaking Japanese is difficult.

    話すこと = the act of speaking (nominalized) → subject

  • 毎日運動することが大切です。

    Mainichi undou suru koto ga taisetsu desu.

    It is important to exercise every day.

    運動すること = exercising (nominalized) → subject

  • 彼が来ないことは知っていた。

    Kare ga konai koto wa shitte ita.

    I knew that he wasn't coming.

    来ないこと = the fact of not coming (clause as noun)

Usage notes · 注意

  • こと vs の nominalizer: こと is more formal/written/abstract; の is more spoken/emotional/concrete.
  • Fixed expressions: ことがある (have experience / sometimes), ことができる (can do), ことにする (decide to), ことになる (be decided).
  • Learn these set expressions as whole units.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones こと is tested against.

vsの (nominalizer)

の is preferred with verbs of perception/emotion and in casual speech (見るのが好き); こと is preferred for abstract, formal, or reported statements (話すことは難しい).

vsの (only-の cases)

After perception verbs (見える, 聞こえる) and in constructions like 〜のを待つ, only の works — こと is ungrammatical there.

More grammar patterns

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