of all people, who would have thought? (としたことが) – Japanese Grammar としたことが (toshita koto ga)

Q: What JLPT level is としたことが?

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Q: How do you use としたことが in a sentence?

Attach としたことが to the appropriate verb or noun form. Of all people, who would have thought?

Q: Is としたことが formal or casual Japanese?

としたことが is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

としたことが

N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

toshita koto ga

of all people, who would have thought?

うちに入らない uchi ni hairanai ても差し支えない temo sashitsukaenai んばかりに n bakari ni はそっちのけで /をそっちのけで wa socchinoke de / o socchinoke de 羽目になる hame ni naru あくまでも akumade mo といい〜といい to ii~to ii にかかっている ni kakatteiru もさることながら mo saru koto nagara ごとき/ごとく/ごとし gotoki/gotoku/gotoshi ものと思われる /ものと見られる mono to omowareru/ mirareru いかんにかかわらず /いかんによらず /いかんをとわず ikan ni kakawarazu / ikan ni yorazu /ikan o towazu べくもない beku mo nai に照らして ni terashite に先駆けて ni sakigakete ばそれまでだ /たらそれまでだ ba sore made da / tara sore made da およそ oyoso こそあれ koso are 放題 houdai も同然だ mo douzen da うちに入らない uchi ni hairanai ても差し支えない temo sashitsukaenai んばかりに n bakari ni はそっちのけで /をそっちのけで wa socchinoke de / o socchinoke de 羽目になる hame ni naru あくまでも akumade mo といい〜といい to ii~to ii にかかっている ni kakatteiru もさることながら mo saru koto nagara ごとき/ごとく/ごとし gotoki/gotoku/gotoshi ものと思われる /ものと見られる mono to omowareru/ mirareru いかんにかかわらず /いかんによらず /いかんをとわず ikan ni kakawarazu / ikan ni yorazu /ikan o towazu べくもない beku mo nai に照らして ni terashite に先駆けて ni sakigakete ばそれまでだ /たらそれまでだ ba sore made da / tara sore made da およそ oyoso こそあれ koso are 放題 houdai も同然だ mo douzen da

🃏 Flashcard

としたことが

toshita koto ga

Tap to reveal usage

of all people, who would have thought?

Tap to test your recall · +10 XP

📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N1

Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Reading toshita koto ga

Post ID 51411

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

of all people, who would have thought?

📖 How to use it

Expresses surprise or disappointment that a particular person, who was least expected to do so, did something, or that an expected action turned out differently.

Attaches to Attach to the past tense of a verb (e.g., した, 言った, 来た) followed by ことが. The phrase is としたことが, which is a set expression: [verb past tense] + としたことが.

This pattern is used when someone you trusted or expected to behave in a certain way does the opposite, or when an unexpected result occurs. It conveys a sense of shock, betrayal, or irony. The phrase としたことが literally means 'that (person) who did...' but is used as an interjection-like clause before stating the surprising fact.

It often appears at the beginning of a sentence or after a short pause, emphasizing the unexpectedness. For example, if a reliable friend forgets your meeting, you might say 'あの彼としたことが、約束を忘れるなんて' (Of all people, he forgot our appointment). The pattern is formal and literary, commonly found in written narratives or reported speech rather than casual conversation.

Note that it is not used for positive surprises; it typically expresses negative surprise or disappointment. Also, the subject is usually a specific person (or a group) that you have expectations about.

あの優等生の彼としたことが、カンニングで退学になったそうだ。

Ano yuutousei no kare toshita koto ga, kanningu de taigaku ni natta sou da.

Of all people, that honor student got expelled for cheating, I heard.

信頼していた彼女としたことが、私の秘密を話してしまった。

Shinrai shite ita kanojo toshita koto ga, watashi no himitsu o hanashite shimatta.

She, whom I trusted, of all people, ended up telling my secret.

あの大企業としたことが、こんなミスをするなんて信じられない。

Ano daikigyou toshita koto ga, konna misu o suru nante shinjirarenai.

That big company, of all places, making a mistake like this is unbelievable.

Not としたって (to shitatte) としたって means 'even if' or 'even though' and is used to concede a point, e.g., 忙しいとしたって、連絡くらいできるだろう. としたことが expresses surprise about a person's action, not a concession.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

としたことが

📚 How to Master This Pattern

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Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat としたことが three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

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Flip Before Reading

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Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using としたことが. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

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Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns

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とりわけ

especially; above all ~

とっさに

at once; right away; promptly

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern としたことが mean? ▼

Of all people, who would have thought?

What JLPT level is としたことが? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use としたことが in a sentence? ▼

Attach としたことが (toshita koto ga) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is としたことが formal or casual Japanese? ▼

としたことが is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.

How can I remember としたことが long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.