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.

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

--:--

    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。

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

    犬(いぬ)は怖(こわ)いものと思(おも)っていたけど、飼(か)ってみたら思(おも)ったより優(やさ)しかった。

    I was under the impression that dogs were scary, but after I tried taking care of one, they turned out to be more gentle than I had thought.

    お母(かあ)さんに怒(おこ)られるものと思(おも)っていたが怒(おこ)られず、拍子抜(ひょうしぬ)けした。

    I was under the impression that my mum was angry, but she wasn’t angry, so it was an anticlimax.

      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)

      面接(めんせつ)に合格(ごうかく)するものと思(おも)っていたが不合格(ふごうかく)となり、愕然(がくぜん)としている。

      I was under the impression that I had passed the interview, but since I failed I am astounded.

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