〜ことか
koto ka
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
"how ~!", "so very ~" — an exclamation of strong emotion.
Almost always paired with a question word such as どんなに, どれほど or 何度. It is emotional and literary, not an ordinary statement of degree.
Expressing deep joy, longing, loneliness or exasperation, often in writing or heartfelt speech.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
どんなに / どれほど / 何度 + plain form + ことかな-adj + な + ことかAlso 〜ことだろう as a softer variant
Visual diagram
- 合格して、situation
- どんなにquestion word (how much)
- 嬉しかったplain form
- ことかexclamation marker
Natural examples
合格して、どんなに嬉しかったことか。
ごうかくして、どんなにうれしかったことか。
How happy I was when I passed!
何度注意したことか。
なんどちゅういしたことか。
How many times have I warned you!
この日をどれほど待っていたことか。
このひをどれほどまっていたことか。
How long I have waited for this day!
一人の夜がどれほど寂しいことか。
ひとりのよるがどれほどさびしいことか。
How lonely the nights alone are!
Similar grammar and the difference
なんて〜(の)だろう
Also an exclamation, but does not need どんなに. なんて美しいのだろう.
Surprise or contempt about a fact: 彼が落ちるなんて. Not "how much". Compare side by side
Looks similar but means "no need to". Completely different meaning. Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 嬉しかったことか。
- ✓
- どんなに嬉しかったことか。
- Why
- The pattern needs a question word (どんなに, どれほど, 何度). Without it the sentence sounds incomplete.
- ✗
- どんなに嬉しいですことか。
- ✓
- どんなに嬉しいことか。
- Why
- Use the plain form before ことか, even in polite speech.
- ✗
- どんなに不安ことか。
- ✓
- どんなに不安なことか。
- Why
- な-adjective + な before こと.
Rhetorical, not a real question. In speech often 〜ことだろう / 〜ことでしょう. Literary/emotional register. Because it is emotional, ことか is rare in business emails and neutral reports.
JLPT N3 tips
On the exam
- If the sentence starts with どんなに / どれほど / 何度 and ends with a blank, the answer is usually ことか (or ことだろう).
- Do not confuse with ことだ (advice) or ことはない (no need); the question word is your clue.
- In reading passages, ことか in a narrator's voice signals strong emotion; use it to answer feeling-type questions.
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜ことか mean?
"how ~!", "so very ~" — an exclamation of strong emotion. Almost always paired with a question word such as どんなに, どれほど or 何度. It is emotional and literary, not an ordinary statement of degree.
How do you form 〜ことか?
どんなに / どれほど / 何度 + plain form + ことか / な-adj + な + ことか / Also 〜ことだろう as a softer variant. V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜ことか used?
Expressing deep joy, longing, loneliness or exasperation, often in writing or heartfelt speech.
What is the difference between 〜ことか and なんて〜(の)だろう?
Also an exclamation, but does not need どんなに. なんて美しいのだろう.
What is the difference between 〜ことか and 〜なんて?
Surprise or contempt about a fact: 彼が落ちるなんて. Not "how much".
What is a common mistake with 〜ことか?
Wrong: 嬉しかったことか。 Right: どんなに嬉しかったことか。 The pattern needs a question word (どんなに, どれほど, 何度). Without it the sentence sounds incomplete.
Quick check
この日を、どんなに待っていた（ ）。