Japanese

こと
Meaning: thing; matter; incident
Part of Speech: Noun

Listen to pronunciation

Handwriting

事

Example sentences

The important thing is not to give up until the end.
塵も積もれば山となるというが、努力の積み重ねが大きな事をなす。
They say 'dust heaps up to form a mountain,' but the accumulation of efforts achieves great things.
当時の事を思い返すと、懐かしいさで胸がいっぱいになる。
When I look back on those days, my heart fills with nostalgia.
お金の事を聞かれたが、彼はとぼけた。
When asked about the money, he played dumb.
事の大小を問わず、早めに報告してください。
Regardless of its size, please report any matter as soon as possible.
彼の指摘は事の本質を穿っている。
His point strikes home at the heart of the matter.
事のしだいを詳しく話した。
I explained the circumstances in detail.
事の白黒をはっきりさせるべきだ。
We should make the right and wrong of the matter clear.
事の成否の見極めが難しい。
It is difficult to judge whether the matter will succeed or fail.
事の成否は、君の努力如何にかかっている。
The success or failure of the matter depends on your effort.

Usage Notes

Refers to intangible things, actions, or states. Often used as a nominalizer.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.