Lesson 18
Assertion
- 1 〜ものだ（本来・忠告・回想・深い感動・願望） ~mono da it is natural / should / used to / how… / really want One 「ものだ」, five jobs: the way of the world, advice, old habits, deep feeling, heartfelt wishes.
- 2 〜というものだ ~to iu mono da that is exactly what ~ is (common sense) Judging a situation: 'by common sense, that is simply ~'.
- 3 〜にすぎない ~ni suginai is nothing more than / merely 'Just ~, nothing bigger' — keeping a small or unremarkable thing small.
- 4 〜にほかならない ~ni hokanaranai is nothing other than / precisely 'This is precisely ~ and nothing else' — a firm, formal assertion.
- 5 〜に越したことはない ~ni koshita koto wa nai nothing beats ~ / it's best to 'Not a must, but ~ is obviously better' — advice nobody argues with.
- 6 〜よりほか（は）ない ~yori hoka (wa) nai there is no other way but to The formal, slightly resigned elder brother of N3 「しかない」— 'no other road, this is it'.
- 7 〜よりしかたがない ~yori shikata ga nai there is nothing for it but to 'There is no other way, this is it' — あとは祈るよりしかたがない (now there's nothing left but to pray).
Lesson check
All 7 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「日本に来てもう5年か。時間がたつのは早い＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The 'oh, how…!' feeling of surprise.
い-adj + ものだ = deep emotion. に越したことはない would give advice ('faster is better'), but this is surprise.
「今日中に全部終わらせろなんて、無理＿。」— which says 'that is just impossible'?
💡 Hint:Labelling the case in front of you 'that is exactly ~'.
N + というものだ = 'by common sense this is exactly 無理'. にすぎない would belittle it ('merely impossible'), and よりほかない cannot attach to a noun.
「会社を支えているのは、現場で働く皆さん＿。」(the president's speech) — fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The firm claim 'it is you and no one else'.
N + にほかならない = 'precisely this and nothing else', elevating. にすぎない goes the opposite way ('merely the workers'), wrong for a speech.
「引っ越しの荷物は少ない＿けど、必要な物は持っていこう。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:The easy-going advice 'fewer is best, but…'.
い-adj + に越したことはない = 'fewer is best', hence the けど after it. ものだ would state 'luggage is naturally few', not advice; よりほかない needs a verb.
「終電がなくなったので、タクシーで帰る＿。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Forced, with no other option.
Dictionary form + よりほかない = 'no other way' (compulsion). ものだった would mean a past habit, not one night's necessity; に越したことはない has no past form.
Which sentence is unnatural?
💡 Hint:What kind of thing does にすぎない play down?
にすぎない only plays down something small or unimportant; you cannot call 'the tastiest in Japan' 'merely'. The other three are humility and numbers.
Which sentence is unnatural?
💡 Hint:To whom may you give advice with ものだ?
Advice with ものだ speaks as 'the rule of the world' and sounds superior — never to a boss like 社長. The 悪口 sentence is a general rule, so it is fine.
You spot the bag you wanted at half price in a sale — how do you say excitedly 'I've just got to buy this!'?
💡 Hint:Excitement, not compulsion.
しかない also works for excitement; よりほかない is stiff and only for reluctant necessity, never said with joy — that difference is the point of this lesson.
Your score: /8