What's new

もの vs こと

IsaacDavid

Sempai
9 Jun 2019
120
21
28
I wanted to know long ago about this: I've read that もの is used for tangible things and こと for intangible things.but i've seen texts where もの seems to be used even for intangible things.can anyone explain me THOROUGHLY when to useもの and when to use こと?
 
I wanted to know long ago about this: I've read that もの is used for tangible things and こと for intangible things.but i've seen texts where もの seems to be used even for intangible things.can anyone explain me THOROUGHLY when to useもの and when to use こと?
Do you have an example of the intangible use of mono that you saw?
 
こと is used as a pronoun for action, phenomenon, target/object of thoughts or linguistic activities, while もの is used for other nouns whether it's intangible or tangible things, or abstract ideas or concrete objects.

もの refers to 答え/選択肢 in your example, and this is not the one こと is used for.
cf.
今朝良いことをした。(こと = action)
夜中に口笛を吹くと、良くないことが起きると言われている。(こと = phenomenon/event)
昨日良いことを聞いた。(こと = what was heard = linguistic activity)

授業はたくさんあるから、好きなものを選んでください。(もの = class/lesson)
彼が撮った映画には、素晴らしいものが多い。(もの = movie)
地方の伝統の中には、すでに失われてしまったものも少なくない。(もの = tradition/custom)


I don't think "can anyone explain me THOROUGHLY when to useもの and when to use こと?" is a good way of asking. It's like asking us to write several chapters of grammar textbook. What do you think if you ask "Can anyone explain me THOROUGHLY when to use the definite article "the" and when to use the indefinite article "a" in English?"? It's far easier to answer to a question why もの is used in an example sentence, like your newest post.
 
Back
Top Bottom