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JLPT N3Point 147 of 169 in N3

〜ものだ(本来の性質・当然)

ものだ

that's how things are / one should

〜ものだ says that something is true by nature or in general, not just this one time: 人は間違えるものだ (people make mistakes; that's how people are). It is also used for common sense about how people should act: 約束は守るものだ (you should keep your promises). It often adds a feeling that the speaker has noticed or accepted this truth, as in 楽しい時間は早く過ぎるものですね.

人は誰でも間違えるものです。

ひとはだれでもまちがえるものです。

Everyone makes mistakes.

Structure

Verb dictionary form / ない-form + ものだ (忘れるものだ, 効かないものだ). い-adjective + ものだ (忙しいものだ). な-adjective + な + ものだ (不安なものだ). Polite: ものです. Casual: もんだ. The verb is not put in the past here; た + ものだ is a different pattern (memories).

Examples

8
  • 子どもは外で元気に遊ぶものだ。

    こどもはそとでげんきにあそぶものだ。

    Children are meant to play energetically outside.

  • 知らない町を一人で歩くのは、不安なものです。

    しらないまちをひとりであるくのは、ふあんなものです。

    Walking alone in a town you don't know naturally makes you uneasy.

  • 楽しい時間は早く過ぎるものですね。

    たのしいじかんははやくすぎるものですね。

    Good times really do pass quickly, don't they?

  • 人の話は最後まで聞くものですよ。

    ひとのはなしはさいごまできくものですよ。

    You should listen to what people say until they finish.

  • 薬はすぐには効かないものです。

    くすりはすぐにはきかないものです。

    Medicine doesn't work right away.

  • 約束は守るものでしょう?

    やくそくはまもるものでしょう?

    You're supposed to keep your promises, aren't you?

  • 若いうちは失敗するものだと、父がよく言っていました。

    わかいうちはしっぱいするものだと、ちちがよくいっていました。

    My father often said that when you're young, you're bound to fail sometimes.

Common mistakes

3
  • Using ものだ for one planned or predicted event. ものだ is about what is generally true, so it does not fit a single fact: ×来週の土曜日は雨が降るものだ → ○来週の土曜日は雨が降るでしょう.
  • Mixing it up with the memory pattern 〜たものだ. With the past form, よく川で泳いだものだ means 'I often used to swim in the river'; it does not state a general truth. For a general truth, use the dictionary form: 夏は川で泳ぐものだ.
  • Forgetting な after a な-adjective: ×静かものだ → ○静かなものだ, ×不安ものです → ○不安なものです.

How it's different from similar grammar

2
〜べきだ (should / ought to)
べきだ gives the speaker's own strong opinion about what is right, often in a specific case: この問題は、もっと話し合うべきだ (we ought to discuss this problem more). ものだ presents something as common sense that everyone already accepts: 年上の人には敬語を使うものだ (people use polite language to older people; that's normal). ものだ sounds like a general rule, べきだ like a personal judgment.
〜たものだ (used to ..., memories)
The form before ものだ decides the meaning. Dictionary form: a general truth, 冬は風邪をひきやすいものだ (people catch colds easily in winter). た-form: a memory of what you often did, 冬はよくスキーに行ったものだ (in winter I often used to go skiing).

How this shows up on the JLPT

In N3 grammar-form questions, ものだ is often the answer for a blank at the end of a sentence that states a general truth (人は〜ものだ, 〜するものだ), with ことだ, わけがない or つもりだ as wrong choices. Questions also test whether you can tell ものだ (general truth or common sense) from たものだ (memories) by the verb form before it. In reading passages, ものだ often marks the writer's general comment on life.

Quick check (3 questions)

0 of 3 answered
  1. Choose the expression that fits the blank: どんなに気をつけていても、忘れ物はする__。

    どんなにきをつけていても、わすれものはする__。

  2. Which sentence uses ものだ to talk about how things generally are, not about a memory?

  3. Which sentence is correct?

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N3 · 147 / 169