〜とは (~to wa) — to think that ~! (surprise)
'I can't believe it!' at a fact you just learned — the second half is often left unsaid.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
You open your phone and see the news: the company your friend works for has suddenly gone under. Out comes: 「まさかあの会社がつぶれるとは…」— 'to think that company would go under!'
Meaning
「〜とは」adds surprise, disappointment or 'what an unbelievable thing' to a fact you have just learned.
How to attach
- To attach it, use the plain form (つぶれるとは・高いとは); with nouns and な-adjectives, 「だ」can be kept or dropped (犯人だとは・犯人とは).
- 「まさか」or 「こんなに」often comes in front.
Versus what you know
- N3It means the same as the 「〜なんて」(こんなに高いなんて), but 「なんて」is casual while 「とは」is a little stiffer — news, articles and polite conversation.
- N2Don't confuse it with the defining 「〜とは」(就活とは〜のことだ): there an explanation follows; here a feeling word follows — 「驚いた」「信じられない」「思わなかった」— or the sentence simply breaks off (〜とは……).
Watch out
It is normally not used for your own habits or things you did on purpose — the surprise is about other people's actions or outside events.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
あの真面目な部長が会社のお金を使い込んでいたとは、信じられない。
あのまじめなぶちょうがかいしゃのおかねをつかいこんでいたとは、しんじられない。
To think that our serious department head was embezzling company money — I can't believe it.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 真面目な部長 = our honest department head → 使い込んでいた = had been embezzling (plain form) → 「とは」 = to think it was so! → then the feeling: 信じられない.
まさか駅前のあの人気店が閉店するとは……。
まさかえきまえのあのにんきてんがへいてんするとは……。
To think that popular shop in front of the station would close…
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) まさか = I never imagined (a word that comes at the front) → 人気店が閉店する = the popular shop will close → 「とは……」 = the rest is left out; only the feeling of shock remains.
ネパールから送った荷物が、届くのに二か月もかかるとは思わなかった。
ネパールからおくったにもつが、とどくのににかげつもかかるとはおもわなかった。
I never thought a parcel sent from Nepal would take two whole months to arrive.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 荷物 = parcel → 二か月もかかる = takes as long as two months (plain form) → 「とは」 → 思わなかった = never thought.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「あの静かな田中さんが、バンドのボーカル＿とは驚いた。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: What is the plain form after a noun?
N (だ) + とは. ボーカルだとは = to think he's the singer! Dropping 「だ」is also fine, but 「な」「の」「に」are not.
In which sentence is 「とは」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Can your own habit surprise you?
とは is surprise at others' actions or outside events. Your own daily habit (getting up at six) is no surprise to you.
Which sentence has the 「とは」of surprise?
💡 Hint: Followed by 「〜のことだ」(a definition), or by a feeling?
上手になるとは = to think he'd get this good! (surprise, second half dropped). The other three are the N2 defining 「とは」.
Your score: /3