とは

towa

JLPT N1 #2 of 243 in N1

I was surprised that; the fact that ~

Expresses surprise or emphasis about a fact or situation, often translating to 'the fact that...' or 'I was surprised that...'.

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How to form it

Attaches to the plain dictionary form of a verb or the plain form of an adjective (e.g., あるとは, できるとは). For nouns and な-adjectives, use だとは (e.g., 彼だとは, 静かだとは); in more formal contexts であるとは may be used.

What it means

This pattern highlights a surprising or unexpected fact. It is often used with verbs like 思わなかった (didn't think) or 驚いた (was surprised) to express that the speaker did not anticipate something. It can also be used alone with a strong emotional nuance, implying 'I never imagined that...'.

Example sentences

彼がそんなに早く辞めるとは思わなかった。

Kare ga sonna ni hayaku yameru towa omowanakatta.

I didn't think he would quit so soon.

ここまで人が来るとは驚いた。

Koko made hito ga kuru towa odoroita.

I'm surprised that so many people came.

あの子が一人でできるとはすごいね。

Ano ko ga hitori de dekiru towa sugoi ne.

It's amazing that that kid can do it alone.

Don’t confuse it with

とは vs. というのは

とは is used with a specific fact or event to express surprise or emphasis, while というのは is used to define or explain a term. For example, 彼が来るとは思わなかった (I didn't think he would come) vs. 彼が来るというのは、どういう意味？ (What does it mean that he's coming?)

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話

When to use it

This is a written or formal spoken pattern, often used in narration or when expressing strong emotion; in casual conversation, it might sound a bit stiff, but it is acceptable in serious statements.

Next in the N1 path

3

なりas soon as; right after ~

4

にしてat/on/under conditions (time, position)

5

ものでbecause; for that reason

6

ようが / ようとeven if; no matter how/what ~

See the whole Grammar Path →

Questions

What does とは mean?

I was surprised that; the fact that ~. Expresses surprise or emphasis about a fact or situation, often translating to 'the fact that...' or 'I was surprised that...'.

How do you form とは?

Attaches to the plain dictionary form of a verb or the plain form of an adjective (e.g., あるとは, できるとは). For nouns and な-adjectives, use だとは (e.g., 彼だとは, 静かだとは); in more formal contexts であるとは may be used.

Example of とは in a sentence

彼がそんなに早く辞めるとは思わなかった。 — I didn't think he would quit so soon.

とは vs. というのは — what is the difference?

とは is used with a specific fact or event to express surprise or emphasis, while というのは is used to define or explain a term. For example, 彼が来るとは思わなかった (I didn't think he would come) vs. 彼が来るというのは、どういう意味？ (What does it mean that he's coming?)

What JLPT level is とは?

JLPT N1 (advanced), number 2 of 243 in Nihoner's learning order for N1.