All JLPT grammar
N4

そんな

Expresses 'that kind/type of'; referring to something near the listener or previously mentioned.

At a glance

そんな means "that kind of" or "such a". It points to something near the listener, or something the other person just said or that came up earlier in the conversation.

そんな + Noun

そんなこと、言いわないで。 Don't say that kind of thing.


How to form it

そんな goes directly before a noun, with no particle in between.

Attaches to Form Example Meaning Register
Noun そんな + noun そんな人ひと that kind of person Neutral
こと そんなこと そんなこと that kind of thing Neutral
の そんなの そんなの a thing like that Casual

It belongs to the same set as こんな, あんな and どんな:

こんな そんな あんな どんな
this kind of that kind of that kind of (over there) what kind of?

Examples

  • そんな話はなし、信しんじられない。

    I can't believe that kind of story.

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The rest of the lesson

When to use it, common mistakes, nuances and a quick check, with spaced repetition to make it stick.

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