Meaning & usage
ことか adds strong emotion to a statement, turning it into an exclamation like how cold it was or what fun it was. It follows the plain form of verbs and i-adjectives, and na-adjectives and nouns with な or だった, as in 寒かったことか or 楽しかったことか. It often pairs with なんと, なんて, or question words like どれだけ to strengthen feeling. It sounds literary and is common in writing or reflective speech rather than casual talk.
Example sentences 5
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時がたつのは何と早いことかと彼はつくづく考えた。
He reflected on how quickly time passes.
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その部屋はなんて寒かったことか。
How cold it was in the room!
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これをどれだけ待っていたことか。
I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this.
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なんと楽しいことか！
What fun!
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何と素晴らしい時を過ごしたことか。
How wonderful a time we have had!
In past JLPT papers
This came up in 2 past exam questions.
