Abstract Things with こと

The meaning of こと is "thing" and it's kanji character 事 is quite common. The use of こと is for abstract things such as a thought or an idea or something that doesn't have any physical presence. While こと means "thing", it does have many more uses. You'll also remember from a previous lesson that it replaces the Nominalisation の Particle just before です or だ.

While こと may generally be interpreted as "ones" or "things" just like indefinite nouns with the の particle, it will not always translate to those meanings, it really is just referring to intangible things.

こと for Verb Nominalisation

Nominalisation with こと is used with verbs to turn them into nouns and you must use the casual non-past forms (not the 〜ます or 〜た forms). Just like with の, we can make a verb a doing verb such as the English "~ing", for example:

While either こと or の could be used here to turn a verb into a noun, there are slight differences in their meanings. In these example, こと places a stronger focus on the action or activity itself. For example, let's take the verb 読む (yomu) meaning "to read", こと helps to describe the abstract concept of "reading" as a whole; literally: the act of reading.

こと for Things

い-adjectives and な-adjectives can also be turned into nouns when used with こと to talk about the abstract concept of the thing being referred to. For example, ひどい (hidoi) means cruel, heartless, harsh, awful and so on. By using こと, we can talk about all of the cruel, heartless things as a whole.

な-adjectives can also be used in the same way but must be followed by な. For example, 必要 (hitsuyou) means necessary, essential or needed. When adding な + こと, we can talk about everything that may be necessary or required as a whole.

When used with a verb, we can talk about "all of the things" about that action as an abstract concept. For example, 聞いた (kiita) is the past tense verb of "to hear" and adding こと expresses "all of the things being heard" as a whole.

※ Example sentence (1), (2) and (3) taken from the game 妖怪ウォッチ (Youkai Watch).

こと for About Something or Someone

The use of こと isn't just restricted to adjectives and verbs, it can also be used with nouns too. Notice how we've been talking about "things" as being "as a whole"; that is to say: "everything about something". When used with nouns, it must be followed by の as we are now labelling abstract things.

While both of these translate as the same thing in English, the first example is a simple straightforward statement expressing a liking for bread as a food item. The addition of こと changes the focus from the physical food item to the abstract concept or idea of bread.

パンのこと emphasises a liking for the abstract concept of bread, which might include aspects like its cultural significance, history or the idea of bread-making itself. The latter is a bit more abstract and can encompass a broader range of associations related to bread beyond just its taste.

In this example, 必要な材料 (hitsuyou na zairiyou) is a noun phrase meaning "necessary material" and by adding こと, the speaker is talking about a broader range of different kinds of materials, their properties and what they'll be used for beyond just that of the physical material itself.

Now let's look at another example but this time, one about a person as an abstract concept:

Here, きみ means "you" and by adding こと, the speaker isn't just asking you for your name or other personal details but also for your general characteristics such as what you look like, your personality, interests or other aspects beyond just the basic details.

こと for Actions and Activities

When we use こと with action verbs, we are talking about the general concept of that action as a whole.

In the following example, 読む (yomu) means "to read" and by adding こと to this, we can talk about the general idea of reading, that is to say, all forms of reading. Literally: "the thing about reading"; this allows you to express your thoughts about it.

In the next example, お世話をする (osewa o suru) means "to take care of" and by adding こと, we can talk about the general concept of providing care or assistance:

In both of these examples, こと is not marking something specific but everything about the thing. In the last example above, "to take care of" isn't stating how or what specifically is being taken care of: health, education or faith and such; but takes all of these and presents them as a whole.

With this in mind, it is kind of like everything listed in a brainstorm diagram (mind map) about a main thing being talked about and presents them all as a whole; an abstract concept of the thing.

※ Example sentence (2) taken from the game 妖怪ウォッチ (Youkai Watch).

こと for Facts

By using こと, we can describe and emphasise general statements or facts. Here, Sentence (1) is a simple straightforward statement of "The sun rises from the east". Without こと, it is just a factual description of the natural occurrence without emphasizing the concept or idea behind it.

1. 太陽が東から昇る

   taiyou ga higashi kara noboru

   The sun rises from the east

2. 太陽が東から昇ること

   taiyou ga higashi kara noboru koto

   (The fact that) the sun rises from the east

Sentence (2) adds an abstract layer to the statement to highlight the concept of "the sun rising from the east" as a fact; it's like saying "The fact that the sun rises in the east". As a nominaliser, こと creates a noun phrase that can then be used as part of a larger sentence, for example:

Creating a noun phrase with こと is very similar to nominalising with の but the main difference being that こと refers to abstract concepts while の is used with something more concrete or specific. With that in mind, replacing こと with の may sound more casual.

こと vs の

The choice between こと and の depends on the specific nuance you want to convey in your statement. The use of こと adds a slightly more abstract or conceptual tone, while the use of の puts a little bit more focus on the action or event itself.

In most cases, こと and の are interchangeable. However, there are a few important exceptions to take note of. Over time, with more exposure to Japanese, you'll get use to using the one that is more natural as they don't always follow strict rules.

Cases where only こと is allowed

1. When a clause or sentence ends with です, だ or である and such; this is because if の were to be used, it would cause confusion with the explanatory particle such as のです.

   • 私の趣味はゲームをすることです
     watashi no shumi wa ge-mu o suru koto desu
     As for my hobby, it is playing games

   • 幸せを祈ることは大切なことです
     shiawase o inoru koto wa taisetsu na koto desu
     As for praying for happiness, it is an important thing.

2. When verbs deal with communication or internal thoughts such as 話す (to speak), 伝える (to tell), 祈る (to pray), 理解 (to understand) and so on. Remember, こと is for abstract concepts and ideas; something that exists in thought or as a concept rather than as a physical, concrete thing.

   • 幸せを祈ることは大切なことです
     shiawase o inoru koto wa taisetsu na koto desu
     As for praying for happiness, it is an important thing.

   • 相手の気持ちを理解することが大切です
     aite no kimochi o rikai suru koto ga taisetsu desu
     Understanding the other person's feelings is important.

3. When こと is already part of a specific piece of grammar such as ことができる, ことになる, ことがある, たことがある and so on.

   • 妖怪の姿を見ることができる
     youkai no sugata o miru koto ga dekiru no desu
     You'll be able to see the appearance of Yokai.

   • 襲ってくることがあるのです
     osottekuru koto ga aru no desu
     Sometimes it will come and attack you.

Cases where only の is allowed

1. When verbs deal with perception or sensory such as 聞く (to hear), 見る (to see), 感じる (to feel) and so on to connect the verb with the thing or action being perceived.

   • 彼の話を聞くのはいつも興味深い
     kare no hanashi o kiku no wa itsumo kyoumibukai
     As for listening to his stories, it is always very interesting.

   • 雨が降るのを感じました
     ame ga furu no o kanjimashita
     I felt the rain falling.

2. When the events or actions described in the outer clause are happening at the same time, location or in coordination with the events of the inner clause.

   • 食べ物を作っているのが匂いでわかる
     tabemono o tsukutteiru no ga nioi de wakaru
     I know by the smell that food is being made.

   • お父さんが料理をするのを手伝います
     otousan ga ryouri o suru no o tetsudaimasu
     I help father doing the cooking.

3. When a verb that describes an action or event which should be done while observing or when emphasising a specific action such as 止める (to stop), やめる (to quit) and so on.

   • 本を読むのをやめる
     hon o yomu no o yameru
     Quit reading books.

   • 1回で行くのを止めました
     ichikai de iku no o tomemashita
     She stopped going after one visit.

※ In a previous example, you will have seen 話は聞いたことがある meaning "to have heard things" despite point (1) stating not to use こと with 聞く (to hear); this is because the action is already part of a specific piece of grammar たことがある (to have done something). This is the same for point (3) of the previous list with 見る (to see) to say 見ることができる (be able to see).

※ In point (3), the reason の is used in these examples is because using こと would imply stopping the concept or idea of the action or event, rather than specifically stopping the action itself. For that reason, it is more appropriate to use の instead of こと with verbs like 止める (tomeru) "to stop", やめる (yameru) "to quit", 邪魔する (jama suru) "to disturb" and so on.

Cases where both こと and の are allowed

The の particle is often used to express possession or association and it can also be used to provide more specific and concrete information. It adds a sense of immediacy and directness to the sentence. The use of の may also place more focus or emphasis on the action or event itself.

When こと is used instead of の, it creates a more abstract and less immediate viewpoint. It conveys a sense of distance or objectivity, as if the speaker is considering things from a removed standpoint. The immediacy and specificity expressed by の is diminished and the matter is approached from a more abstract, detached perspective.

Sometimes, you may find that either の or こと can be used to say the same thing but depending on the context of the sentence, you may find that using の is more natural. For example:

1. こうしてのんびり本を読むことが好きだ
   koushite nonbiri hon o yomu koto ga suki da
   I like to relax and read books like this.

2. こうしてのんびり本を読むのが好きだ
   koushite nonbiri hon o yomu no ga suki da
   I like to relax and read books like this.

While both of these sentences are grammatically correct, sentence (2) is more natural. There are two key points here: firstly, the use of の is common when providing specific and concrete information; secondly, こうして indicates the speaker is talking about something happening right now. This creates an immediacy of time and location that の is known for.

Though こと is technically correct in sentence (1) and will be understood perfectly fine, it does not sound as natural and is not common when used in this way.

Additional Notes