「こと」(1) Nominalize things
「こと」(1) Nominalize things
the act of, that
Two of the word in Japanese that can nominalize things are こと and の. WIn this lesson we will cover こと. Before we start, let's go over a definition:
Nominalization is the process of using a non-noun word (e.g. a verb, adjective, or adverb) as a noun.
By attaching こと, we can create a noun phrase that can then act like any other noun.
A simple translation that can help you make sense of this is the act of.
食べること
The act of eating
Now we can treat it as a noun phrase.
食べることが好き。
I like (the act of) eating/to eat.
It is important to note that this does not only turn the word it is attached to into a noun, but everything that comes before it.
毎朝ジョギングをすることは健康にいい。
Jogging every morning is good for your health.
日本の文化が面白いことは分かる。
I know that Japanese culture is interesting.
彼女の足が奇麗なことは写真で知っている。
From pictures I know that her feet are beautiful.
Formation
作ること・作ったこと
安いこと・安かったこと
静かなこと・静かだったこと