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JLPT N3Point 150 of 169 in N3

〜ものか/〜もんか

ものか/もんか

no way ...! / as if I would!

〜ものか is a strong, emotional 'no'. It has two main uses. (1) A firm decision not to do something: あんな店、二度と行くものか (I'll never go to that shop again!). (2) Strongly rejecting what someone else said or thinks: 「簡単でしょう?」「簡単なものか」 (Easy? It's not easy at all!). It is spoken language, said with a falling tone, and it can sound rough, so it is not used in formal situations.

あんな店、二度と行くものか。

あんなみせ、にどといくものか。

I'll never go to that shop again!

Structure

Verb dictionary form + ものか (行くものか). い-adjective + ものか (おいしいものか). な-adjective + な + ものか (簡単なものか). Noun + な + ものか (本物なものか). Casual: もんか. Polite (a little softer, often used by women): ものですか / もんですか. The verb or adjective before it is in the affirmative, but the whole sentence means 'not'.

Examples

8
  • 負けるもんか。最後までがんばるぞ。

    まけるもんか。さいごまでがんばるぞ。

    There's no way I'll lose. I'll keep going to the end!

  • 「この仕事は簡単でしょう?」「簡単なものか。毎日大変だよ。」

    「このしごとはかんたんでしょう?」「かんたんなものか。まいにちたいへんだよ。」

    "This job is easy, right?" "Easy? Not at all. It's tough every day."

  • 「あの映画、おもしろかった?」「おもしろいものか。途中で寝ちゃったよ。」

    「あのえいが、おもしろかった?」「おもしろいものか。とちゅうでねちゃったよ。」

    "Was that movie interesting?" "Interesting? No way. I fell asleep halfway through."

  • 彼の言うことなんか、信じるものか。

    かれのいうことなんか、しんじるものか。

    As if I'd believe anything he says!

  • 誰がこんな高い服を買うもんか。

    だれがこんなたかいふくをかうもんか。

    Who would buy such expensive clothes? Nobody!

  • こんなに安い指輪が、本物なものか。

    こんなにやすいゆびわが、ほんものなものか。

    A ring this cheap can't possibly be real!

  • 母は「あなたに負けるものですか」と笑った。

    ははは「あなたにまけるものですか」とわらった。

    My mother laughed and said, "I won't lose to you!"

Common mistakes

3
  • Putting the verb in the negative to mean 'I won't': ×二度と行かないものか → ○二度と行くものか. ものか already makes the sentence negative, so the verb stays affirmative. (〜ないものか is a different, more advanced pattern meaning 'I wish there were some way to ...'.)
  • Forgetting な after a な-adjective or a noun: ×簡単ものか → ○簡単なものか, ×本物ものか → ○本物なものか.
  • Using it with a boss, a customer or in writing. ものか / もんか is emotional spoken language. To refuse politely, just say 行きません or 申し訳ありませんが、…

How it's different from similar grammar

2
〜わけがない (there's no way that ...)
わけがない is a judgment from reasons or facts: 毎日練習している彼が負けるわけがない (there's no reason he'd lose, since he practices every day). ものか is emotional: it shows the speaker's strong feeling or will, often about himself or herself: 絶対に負けるもんか (I'm definitely not going to lose!). わけがない can be used in writing; ものか is for emotional speech.
〜もん at the end (because ...)
Both are casual and end the sentence, but the meaning is different. もん gives a reason or an excuse: だって、眠いんだもん (Well, it's because I'm sleepy). もんか, with か, is a strong 'no': 寝るもんか (I won't sleep!). Listen for the か at the end.

How this shows up on the JLPT

In N3 grammar-form questions, ものか is often the answer at the end of a sentence that shows anger or strong will (もう〜, 二度と〜, 絶対に〜), with ものだ, はずだ or ことか as wrong choices. Some questions check the form before it: the affirmative dictionary form, and な after な-adjectives and nouns. In listening, a falling ものか / もんか means a strong 'no', not a real question.

Quick check (3 questions)

0 of 3 answered
  1. Choose the expression that fits the blank: あんなにひどいことを言われたんだから、あの人とはもう話す__。

    あんなにひどいことをいわれたんだから、あのひととはもうはなす__。

  2. Which sentence means 'There's no way I'll cry!'?

  3. Which sentence shows the speaker's strong personal refusal, not a judgment based on facts?

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N3 · 150 / 169