Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 5: 4/20

そんなSuch a・Kind of, Something like ~

Structure

そんな + Noun
こんな + Noun
あんな + Noun
どんな + Noun

Details

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About そんな・こんな・あんな・どんな

One of the most common ways to convey that something is 'like' something else in casual conversation, is through the use of そんな, こんな, あんな, or どんな (when asking a question). These are not officially words themselves, but are abbreviations that come from そのような, このような, あのような, and どのような.

To use this casual expression, simply say it directly before the noun that you are describing, or enquiring about.

Because these abbreviations originally come from a longer (more formal) variation, that form may also be used in situations where you would like to sound a little bit more polite.

Examples

--:--

    どんな車(くるま)がいい。

    What kind of car is good?

    そんな技術(ぎじゅつ)は珍(めずら)しい。

    A skill such as that is rare. (close to listener)

    こんな高(たか)いのは必要(ひつよう)ですか。

    Is such an expensive one necessary? (close to speaker)

    こんな畳(たたみ)が大体(だいたい)寝(ね)やすい。

    Tatami mats like these are generally easy to sleep on. (close to speaker)

    あんな駐車場(ちゅうしゃじょう)は使(つか)いにくい。

    A parking lot like that (over there) is hard to use. (far from both speaker and listener)

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そんな・こんな・あんな・どんな – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (4 in total)

  • Pablunpro

    Pablunpro

    Hi!

    This is what I have in my notes on the そういう grammar:

    "In speech it’s not much different than こんな 、 そんな 、or あんな (which are informal forms of このような 、 そのような 、and あのような ) ".

    This is directly taken from the second resource listed in that grammar point, ELI5: How to use こういう/そういう/ああいう/どういう. : r/LearnJapanese (reddit.com).

    HTH!

  • soundjona

    soundjona

    Is there a way during reviews to now when to use そういう or そうな ? Some sentences just have the same english translation and it’s not really clear how to know which one Bunpro expect.

  • Fuga

    Fuga

    Hey @soundjona !

    Although そんな (こんな/あんな/どんな) is an abbreviation of そのような, (このような/あのような/どのような), it is used almost interchangeably with そういう/こういう/ああいう/どうゆう.

    Because of this we provide a hint when the other grammar point is used instead of counting the answer as incorrect.

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