物Nuance and style
The way things are
もの literally means “thing”, but it also presents a feeling or belief as if it were a solid object: nostalgia, an excuse, or what people should do.
Many uses
All feel more long-held than in the moment
But I didn't know!
An excuse (casual, often もん)
How could you say such a thing?
Exclamation
As a kid, I used to play here a lot.
Nostalgia: past + ものだ
I'd really love to go once.
Long-held desire
You should be kind to people.
What's generally expected
Time really does fly.
A general truth, with conviction
Which use?
Look at the form before it
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past + ものだ | I used to, with nostalgia | よく泳いだものだ |
| Plain + ものだ | That's how it is, or you should | 親切にするものだ |
| ~たいものだ | I'd really love to | 行きたいものだ |
| Sentence + もの(ん) | But… (an excuse) | 忙しいもん |
Compare
もの vs. の
Well, it's cold, isn't it.
More indirect, a little childlike.
It's cold!
More direct, about this moment.
Compare
もの vs. から
I mean, I'm just a kid.
Emotional.
I don't understand, because I'm a child.
A plain reason.
Telling it apart
It's still also a “thing”
もの is also an ordinary noun: 食べ物, “something to eat”. Used with だ at the end of a sentence, it expresses the speaker's feelings about something that's been true for some time, not just a response to this moment.
Check yourself
What's the feeling?
Your turn
Past or present?
Say it yourself
Old neighborhood
You're back in your hometown, and you tell a friend you used to come to this park all the time. Also add that you'd love to live here again.
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