「〜ということ」- Nominalization Structure

Explanation

「〜ということ」 (ということということ) is a formal nominalizer in Japanese, primarily used to supplement long sentences, making the structure clearer and more complete. It transforms the content of verbs, adjectives, or nouns into noun phrases, facilitating subsequent sentence references and explanations.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
〜ということ	Plain form of verbs, adjectives, nouns	Nominalizes the preceding content, allowing it to function as a noun in the sentence, meaning "the matter of..." or "the content of...".

Basic Usage

Connection Rules

「〜ということ」 can follow the plain form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns. The specific connection forms are as follows:

Connection Form	Example
Plain form of verbs	食たべるということ
Adjectives	面白おもしろいということ
Nouns	学生がくせいということ

Basic Meaning

The basic meaning of 「〜ということ」 is "the matter of..." or "the content of...". It nominalizes the preceding content, allowing it to function as a noun in the sentence.

Examples

• 彼かれが来くるということを知しっていた。
• Kare ga kuru to iu koto o shitteita.
• I knew about the fact that he was coming.
  

• 彼女かのじょが日本語にほんごを話はなせるということは驚おどろきだ。
• Kanojo ga nihongo o hanaseru to iu koto wa odoroki da.
• The fact that she can speak Japanese is surprising.
  

Deep Dive

Extended Usage

In addition to its basic usage, 「〜ということ」 has some extended uses, such as expressing hearsay or conclusions.

Hearsay

「〜ということだ」 can be used to express hearsay, similar to 「〜そうだ」.

• 天気予報てんきよほうによると、明日あしたは雨あめが降ふるということだ。
• Tenki yohou ni yoru to, ashita wa ame ga furu to iu koto da.
• According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
  

Conclusion

「〜ということだ」 can also be used to express a conclusion inferred from a situation, similar to "that is to say".

• これで、彼かれが犯人はんにんだということがわかった。
• Kore de, kare ga hannin da to iu koto ga wakatta.
• From this, we concluded that he is the culprit.
  

Notes

• 「〜ということ」 is a formal nominalizer, mainly used to supplement long sentences, making the structure clearer and more complete.
• In some cases, 「〜ということ」 and 「〜こと」 can be used interchangeably, but the former is more formal and explanatory.

Comparison and Differences

「〜ということ」 vs. 「〜こと」

Although 「〜ということ」 and 「〜こと」 can sometimes be used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between them. Generally, 「〜ということ」 is more formal and explanatory, while 「〜こと」 is more concise and direct.

Example	English Translation
彼かれが来くることを知しっていた。	I knew he was coming.
彼かれが来くるということを知しっていた。	I knew about the fact that he was coming.

In the above examples, using 「〜ということ」 makes the sentence more formal and explanatory, while using 「〜こと」 is more concise.

Real-Life Scenarios

In Conversations

In everyday conversations, 「〜ということ」 can be used to explain something or express understanding of a fact.

• A: 彼かれが来くるということを知しっていたの？
• A: Kare ga kuru to iu koto o shitteita no?
• A: Did you know about the fact that he was coming?
  

• B: うん、知しっていたよ。
• B: Un, shitteita yo.
• B: Yes, I knew.
  

Practical Examples

Here are some practical examples of using 「〜ということ」 in real-life scenarios:

• 彼かれの趣味しゅみは音楽おんがくを聴きくということだ。
• Kare no shumi wa ongaku o kiku to iu koto da.
• His hobby is listening to music.
  

• 新あたらしいプロジェクトぷろじぇくとが始はじまるということを聞きいた。
• Atarashii purojekuto ga hajimaru to iu koto o kiita.
• I heard that a new project is starting.
  

Summary

This article has detailed the usage of 「〜ということ」 in Japanese, including its basic usage, extended usage, and comparisons with similar structures. By understanding and applying this grammar point, you can construct clearer and more complete sentence structures more effectively.