JLPT N3 Grammar
· Intermediate
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· Intermediate
social expectation / it is natural
Category: Characteristics and Emotions
The grammar pattern "Verb-plain + ものだ / Adj-plain + ものだ" is used to express a general truth, common sense, or a strong moral duty/expectation. It implies that 'this is just the way things are' or 'this is what one should do'. This pattern is often used to convey a sense of social expectation or naturalness, and it can be used to describe a wide range of situations, from everyday customs to moral principles. For example, "人に会ったら挨拶をする" (When meeting someone, one should greet them) or "時間は早く過ぎる" (Time passes quickly).
When using this pattern, it's essential to remember that it's not suitable for expressing personal plans or specific advice to someone. It's also crucial to distinguish it from other patterns, such as "beki da" (stronger obligation) and "koto da" (specific advice to someone).
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb-plain | Verb-plain + ものだ | 挨拶をするものだ |
| Adj-plain | Adj-plain + ものだ | 時間は早く過ぎるものだ |
| Verb-plain (Negative) | Verb-plain + ないものだ | 人に会ったら挨拶をするないものだ |
人の家に行ったら、挨拶をするものだ。
Hito no ie ni ittara, aisatsu o suru mo no da.
When visiting someone's house, one should greet them.
人 (people), 家 (house), 行ったら (when visiting), 挨拶 (greeting), する (to do), ものだ (social expectation)
時間は早く過ぎるものだ。
Jikan wa hayaku sugiru mo no da.
Time passes quickly.
時間 (time), は (topic marker), 早く (quickly), 過ぎる (to pass), ものだ (social expectation)
目上の人には敬語を使うものだ。
Mejika no hito ni wa keigo o tsukau mo no da.
One should use polite language when speaking to someone of higher status.
目上 (higher status), の (possessive marker), 人 (people), に (to), 敬語 (polite language), を (object marker), 使う (to use), ものだ (social expectation)
この国では、英語を勉強するものだ。
Kono kuni de wa, eigo o benkyō suru mo no da.
In this country, one should study English.
この (this), 国 (country), で (location), は (topic marker), 英語 (English), を (object marker), 勉強 (to study), する (to do), ものだ (social expectation)
This pattern is used to express a general truth, common sense, or a strong moral duty/expectation. It's often used in formal or polite language, especially when speaking to someone of higher status. When using this pattern, it's essential to remember that it's not suitable for expressing personal plans or specific advice to someone.
This pattern is used to express general truths or moral duties, not personal plans. Using it for personal plans can make the sentence sound unnatural or even incorrect.
While both patterns express a sense of obligation, "beki da" is stronger and more emphatic than "ものだ". Using the wrong pattern can change the meaning of the sentence significantly.
This pattern is used to express general truths or moral duties, while "koto da" is used to give specific advice to someone. Using the wrong pattern can make the sentence sound unnatural or even incorrect.
When using this pattern in the JLPT exam, make sure to remember that it's used to express general truths or moral duties. Be careful not to confuse it with other patterns, such as "beki da" or "koto da". Also, pay attention to the context and the tone of the sentence to ensure that you're using the correct pattern.
人の家に行ったら、挨拶をする______。
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