All JLPT grammar
N3

~たものだ

Looks back with nostalgia on something one used to do; 'used to', 'would often'.

At a glance

~たものだ looks back with nostalgia on something you used to do often in the past. It means "used to" or "would often".

Verb た-form + ものだ

子供こどもの頃ころ、よく公園こうえんで遊あそんだものだ。 When I was a child, I would often play in the park.


How to form it

Put the verb in the た-form, then add ものだ:

Verb group Dictionary form ~たものだ
う-verb 遊あそぶ 遊あそんだものだ
る-verb 食たべる 食たべたものだ
する 勉強べんきょうする 勉強べんきょうしたものだ
来る 来くる 来きたものだ
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Polite ~たものです
Casual speech ~たもんだ

Examples

  • 子供こどものころ、よくこの川かわで泳およいだものだ。

    When I was a child, I often used to swim in this river.

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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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