Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 6: 21/24

事(こと)か

How…, What..., God knows...

いくたび・いくど

Structure

Verb + ことか
［い］Adjective + ことか
［な］Adjective + な + ことか
Noun + である + ことか

Details

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    Standard

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    一般

About ことか

ことか is a combination of こと 'thing', and the case marking particle か, used to present a question.

In sentences with ことか, words that highlight some particular number or extent are often used, before ことか comes at the end of the statement, expressing that 'extent' as being particularly unusual, or even unbelievable (thanks to the addition of か). This is often translated simply as 'how (A)', 'what (A)', or even 'god knows (A)'. Let's look at a few examples.

Literally, ことか can be translated as 'to what particular (A) is (B)!?', as the enquiry is often not directed at anyone specifically, but instead presents itself as a question simply to emphasize its magnitude.

Caution

In modern Japanese, this expression is used primarily in written language, and has a tendency to sound either poetic, or dramatic. Because of this, it may sound unnatural in daily speech, unless the speaker is purposely being dramatic.

  • どれだけお前(まえ)の事(こと)を愛(あい)していたことか！それでも俺(おれ)はお前(まえ)に裏切(うらぎ)られた！
    God knows how much I loved you! Still, you betrayed me.
  • 知(し)らない人(ひと)にありがとうと言(い)われるのがどれだけ嬉(うれ)しいことか。
    God knows how nice it feels to have a stranger thank you.

Examples

--:--

    これをどれだけ待(ま)っていた事(こと)か。

    God knows how long I have waited for this!

    文法(ぶんぽう)を勉強(べんきょう)するためのサイトを今(いま)まで何度(なんど)、試(ため)した事(こと)か！

    Until now, god knows how many sites I have tried learning grammar on!

    文(ぶん)プロがあってどんなに便利(べんり)な事(こと)か！

    How convenient it is to have Bunpro!

    君(きみ)に会(あ)えてどんなに嬉(うれ)しかった事(こと)か。

    How happy I was after meeting you!

    子供(こども)のころ、この喫茶店(きっさてん)に行(い)ったことがある。あの時(とき)のドーナツは、何(なん)とうまかった事(こと)か。

    When I was a child, there was a time we went to this coffee shop. God knows how delicious these donuts were!

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      ことか – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (1 in total)

      • testing

        testing

        What does that mean? It’s also on the Bunpro page, but from a quick search, neither the information section nor the examples mention either of them at all.

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