Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 4: 10/17

ものと思(おも)う

Think that, Believe that, Expect that, Have confidence that, Absolutely

Structure

Verb + ものと思(おも)う
［い］Adjective + ものと思(おも)う
［な］Adjective + な + ものと思(おも)う
Noun + な + ものと思(おも)う

Details

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    Formal

  • 使用域

    硬い

Rare Kanji

物

About ものと思う

物(もの)と思(おも)う is made up of the noun 物(もの) 'thing', the case marking particle と, and the う-Verb 思(おも)う 'to think'. Regular translations include 'to believe that (A)', or 'to have confidence that (A)'. In a broader sense, this grammar pattern is just making use of one of the meanings of 物(もの) as being something abstract that the speaker can reliably determine has all of the qualities of something concrete.
As もの is a noun, this pattern may follow any word in its attributive form.
  • あの人(ひと)はなんでもできると自信(じしん)ありげに言(い)っていたんで、仕事(しごと)ができるものと思(おも)っていたが全然(ぜんぜん)だった。
    He said confidently that he could do anything, so I expected him to be capable of doing the job, but he was not at all.
  • 夫(おっと)の部屋(へや)からものすごいキーボードの音(おと)が聞(き)こえたから、忙(いそが)しいものと思(おも)っていたがただゲームをしていただけだ。
    I heard my husband typing on his keyboard, so I was confident that he was busy, but he was just gaming.
  • 結婚(けっこん)は幸(しあわ)せなものと思(おも)う人(ひと)は多(おお)いだろう。
    Many people believe that marriage is a happy thing.
  • 日本(にほん)で最(もっと)も寒(さむ)い月(つき)は12月(がつ)であるものと思(おも)っている人(ひと)が多(おお)いが、実(じつ)は2月(がつ)だ。
    Many people think that the coldest month in Japan is December, but actually it is February.
When 思(おも)う appears in the past tense, the most common translation is 'as I had believed was true of (A)', or 'I was under the impression that (A)'.
  • 外国人(がいこくじん)観光客(かんこうきゃく)は日本語(にほんご)が話(はな)せないものと思(おも)っていたが、実際(じっさい)そうでもなかった。
    I was under the impression that foreign tourists could not speak Japanese, but this was not the case.
Although this grammar construction is slightly formal, it may occasionally be heard in daily speech.

Examples

  • よしの：「ウサギは卵(たまご)を産(う)まないわ...」
    しどう：「でも、実際(じっさい)には多(おお)くの人(ひと)がそんな風(ふう)に思(おも)うもんと思(おも)うよ。」

    Yoshino: 'Bunnies do not lay eggs…'
    Shidou: 'But I think that a lot of people think that they do.'

    While formal, ものと思う can be used in casual circumstances. In those cases, もの can be changed to もん.

  • 社員(しゃいん)が上司(じょうし)に話(はな)す：「宅配便(たくはいびん)が今日(きょう)、約束通(やくそくどお)りに来(く)るものと思(おも)っていますが、念(ねん)の為(ため)に電話(でんわ)をかけてみます。」

    Employee talks to the boss: 'I think that the courier will come today as promised, but I will call him and see just to be safe.'

  • セールスマンはクライアントに：「この商品(しょうひん)の品質(ひんしつ)でご満足(まんぞく)いただけるものと思(おも)います。」

    Salesman to a client: 'I am confident that you will be satisfied with the quality of the product.'

  • 会社(かいしゃ)の社長(しゃちょう)の新年(しんねん)の演説(えんぜつ)：「新(あたら)しい年(とし)、２０XX年(ねん)は、自動(じどう)で運転(うんてん)できる車(くるま)が大(おお)きく発展(はってん)する年(とし)になるものと思(おも)います。」

    A company president's new year speech: 'I believe that the new year, 20XX, will become a year in which self-driving cars will be vastly developed.'

  • 財務大臣(ざいむだいじん)：「この問題(もんだい)について、政府(せいふ)と産業界(さんぎょうかい)との連携(れんけい)はやがて成果(せいか)に結(むす)びつくものと思(おも)います。」

    Minister of Finance: 'About this matter, I expect that the cooperation of the government and the industry will eventually bear fruit.'

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ものと思う – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (2 in total)

  • matt_in_mito

    matt_in_mito

    Does anyone have any ideas as to why there is no だ preceding the と思う in this grammar point?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    @matt_in_mito
    Sorry for the late answer

    Sometimes だ is used after もの. I think it might just depends on person.

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