Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 6: 12/17

ものと思(おも)っていた

Was under the impression that, (Always) the thought used to think

sometimes ものだと思っていた is used. もんと思っていた is more casual variant

Structure

Verb + ものと思(おも)っていた
［い］Adjective + ものと思(おも)っていた
［な］Adjective + な + ものと思(おも)っていた
Noun + の + ものと思(おも)っていた

Details

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物

About ものと思っていた

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.
When 思(おも)う appears in the past tense as ものと思(おも)っていた, the most common translation is 'as I had believed was true of (A)', or 'I was under the impression that (A)'.
As もの is a noun, this pattern may follow any word in its attributive form.
  • え...まだ晩御飯(ばんごはん)食(た)べてないの？てっきり帰(かえ)りに食(た)べてくるものと思(おも)っていたから、あなたの分(ぶん)は作(つく)ってないですよ。
    What… You haven't eaten dinner yet? I was totally under the impression that you were going to grab something on the way back home, so I did not make anything for you.
  • 私(わたし)の母(はは)は猫(ねこ)が好(す)きではないものと思(おも)っていたが、聞(き)いてみたらただ猫(ねこ)アレルギーがあるそうだ。
    I was under the impression that my mother did not like cats, but after asking her, I found out that it's just that she is allergic to them.
  • ゲートボールは老人(ろうじん)しかやらないものと思(おも)っていたが、最近(さいきん)は若者(わかもの)の間(あいだ)で流行(はや)っているらしい。
    I was under the impression that gateball was something only old people played, but it seems to be popular among young people these days.
As ものと思(おも)っていた highlights an impression of something that was true, contradictory statements will often appear in part (B) of the sentence following structures like が or けど.

Examples

  • 私(わたし)は彼(かれ)が拒否(きょひ)するものと思(おも)っていたが、予想(よそう)とは逆(ぎゃく)に彼(かれ)は賛成(さんせい)した。

    I was under the impression that he would disagree, but contrary to expectations he agreed.

  • 小説(しょうせつ)、勇者(ゆうしゃ)：「ドラゴンは伝説(でんせつ)のものと思(おも)っていたが…｡」
    小(ちい)さいドラゴン：「ガオー！」

    Novel: 'I was under the impression that the dragons were things of legends.'
    Small dragon: 'Rarrrr!'

  • 子供(こども)の頃(ころ)、森(もり)の中(なか)で迷(まよ)った。てっきりこのまま死(し)ぬものと思(おも)っていた（が救(すく)われた）

    When I was a child, I lost my way in the forest. I was under the impression that I would die like this. (But I was saved)

  • てっきり漢字(かんじ)を学(まな)ぶのは退屈(たいくつ)なものと思(おも)っていた。（がそうではない）

    I was under the impression that learning kanji would be boring. (But it is not)

  • A：「彼女(かのじょ)が負(ま)けたなんて驚(おどろ)いたな。きっと勝(か)つものと思(おも)ってたけど。」
    B：「わたしもそう思(おも)ってた。」

    A: 'Surprisingly, she lost. I was under the impression that she would win.'
    B: 'I thought so too.'

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