Structure
Verb[ば](1) + Verb + ものを(2)
Verb[ば](1) + [い]Adjective + ものを(2)
Verb[ば](1) + [な]Adjective + な + ものを(2)
Verb[ば](1) + Noun + の + ものを(2)
(1) Verb[たら]、Verb + と
(2) ものを
Details
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Standard
使用域
一般
Rare Kanji
物
About ものを
ものを will be translated as 'if only (A)', or '(A), but (B)'. Despite being a construction of もの and the adverbial particle を, ものを is often considered as a standalone conjunction particle. It can be seen following verbs or い-Adjectives in their standard form, or な-Adjectives followed by な.
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もっと早くに歯医者に行けば歯を抜かずに済んだものを...If you went to the dentist earlier, they wouldn't have had to remove your tooth, but…
- 目を合わせなかったら止められなかったものを、なんで警察なんかと目を合わせちゃうんだ。If only you didn't make eye contact with the police, we wouldn't have been stopped, so why did you have to go and make eye contact with them?
- アレルギーなどがあったなら、さきに言ってくれればいいものを...If you had an allergy, you should have let me know beforehand, but…
- 「手伝って」って言えばいいものを、一人でやるからこう言う目に会うんだよ。If you have just asked for help, but because you did it alone, it ended up like this.
- みんなでやれば簡単なものを...It would have been easy if we all worked on it together, but…
- 道具を使えば楽なものを、わざわざ自分の力でやろうとするから怪我をするんだよ。It would have been easier if you used tools, but because you went out of your way to try it without any tools, you ended up getting hurt.
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素直に認めていればいいものを...I should have just been honest, but… (I should have just been honest, but instead I continued to lie)
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政治ポスター:日本を前へ。Political poster: Japan forward. (Verb omitted but obvious from context, the positive improvement of Japan)
Examples
かみやま:「その不良学生が僕の鉛筆を食わなかったら入学試験を受けていたはずのもんを...(食ったから、受けられなかった)」
Kamiyama: 'If that delinquent hadn't eaten my pencil, I would have taken the school entrance exam for sure, but… (He has eaten it, so I couldn't)'
犯罪コメディ映画、トニー:「まったく、ボリス、おとなしく死んでおればいいものを...」
Crime comedy movie, Tony: 'Dear God, Boris, it would have been good if you had just shut up and died, but…'
ものを is very often used with ばいい and ばよかった structures.
「もっと早くタバコをやめれば健康問題なしに済んだものを、手遅れになってしまった。」
'If I had quit smoking much earlier I would have ended up without any health problems, but now it is too late.'
父は息子に言う:「RINEでメッセージをしてくれたら迎えに行ってあげたもんを...(メッセージしなかった)」
Father speaking to his son: 'If you had messaged me on Rine, I would have picked you up, but… (you didn't).'
「彼が君に謝ったのなら許すべきものを、子供じゃあるまいし、無視するなんてひどすぎるよ。」
'You are not a child! If he is apologizing, you should forgive him, but ignoring him is too cruel!'
You do not need a particle when connecting べき and ものを.
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Sou Matome Bunpou N1
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Shin Kanzen Master N1 Bunpou
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A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
Page 279
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