〜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)
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__。
Which sentence means 'There's no way I'll cry!'?
Which sentence shows the speaker's strong personal refusal, not a judgment based on facts?
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