Japanese grammar
What does ～のことだから mean? Japanese grammar N1
～のことだから means knowing…; since it's… (predictable based on personality).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N1 |
|---|---|
| Structure | N (a person one knows well) + のことだから |
| Romaji | nokotodakara |
| Meaning | knowing…; since it's… (predictable based on personality) |
Forming it
| Noun (person) | 彼 + のことだから |
|---|---|
| Noun (organization) | あの会社 + のことだから |
How to use it
Makes a guess based on known knowledge of A's character/habits. A must be a familiar person/organization.
- 「～のことだから」 = "because it's A, surely…": using A's KNOWN character/habits as the basis for a guess.
- A must be a person/organization that both speaker AND listener know well.
- The following clause is a guess: 「きっと～だろう／～はずだ」.
Examples
彼のことだから、きっと時間どおりに来るだろう。
Knowing him, he’ll surely arrive on time.
あの会社のことだから、対応は早いはずだ。
Knowing that company, they should respond quickly.
Keep in mind
- A must be familiar to both parties.
- The clause that follows is a conjecture, not an already-known fact.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong天気のことだから、明日は雨だろう。
Knowing him, he'll probably be late again.
Correct彼のことだから、また遅れるだろう。
A must be a PERSON/organization with known character, not a natural phenomenon.
-
Wrong彼のことだから、昨日来た。
Knowing him, he came yesterday.
Correct彼のことだから、きっと来るだろう。
The following clause is a GUESS, not a report of something that already happened.
Exam tips
- 「のことだから」 = because it's A (we know their character), so surely…; A must be a familiar person.