I was surprised that; the fact that ~ (とは) – Japanese Grammar とは (towa)

Q: What JLPT level is とは?

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Q: How do you use とは in a sentence?

Attach とは to the appropriate verb or noun form. I was surprised that; the fact that ~

Q: Is とは formal or casual Japanese?

とは is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

とは

N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

towa

I was surprised that; the fact that ~

じみた jimita はおろか wa oroka ことのないように koto no nai you ni に忍びない ni shinobinai どうにも〜ない dou nimo~nai と相まって to aimatte 術がない sube ga nai てからというもの te kara to iu mono なくしては nakushite wa いかんだ / いかんでは/ いかんによっては ikan da / ikan dewa / ikan ni yotte wa といえども to ie domo いずれにしても / いずれにしろ / いずれにせよ izure ni shitemo / izure ni shiro / izure ni seyo たら最後 / たが最後 tara saigo / taga saigo 羽目になる hame ni naru をよそに o yoso ni ても知らない temo shiranai ことなしに koto nashi ni そびれる sobireru をものともせずに o mono tomo sezuni はそっちのけで /をそっちのけで wa socchinoke de / o socchinoke de じみた jimita はおろか wa oroka ことのないように koto no nai you ni に忍びない ni shinobinai どうにも〜ない dou nimo~nai と相まって to aimatte 術がない sube ga nai てからというもの te kara to iu mono なくしては nakushite wa いかんだ / いかんでは/ いかんによっては ikan da / ikan dewa / ikan ni yotte wa といえども to ie domo いずれにしても / いずれにしろ / いずれにせよ izure ni shitemo / izure ni shiro / izure ni seyo たら最後 / たが最後 tara saigo / taga saigo 羽目になる hame ni naru をよそに o yoso ni ても知らない temo shiranai ことなしに koto nashi ni そびれる sobireru をものともせずに o mono tomo sezuni はそっちのけで /をそっちのけで wa socchinoke de / o socchinoke de

🃏 Flashcard

とは

towa

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I was surprised that; the fact that ~

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N1

Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Reading towa

Post ID 51414

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

I was surprised that; the fact that ~

📖 How to use it

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

Attaches to 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.

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...'.

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.

Not 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?)

Register 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.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

とは

📚 How to Master This Pattern

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Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat とは 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 とは. 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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とて

even; even if/though ~

とはいえ

though; although; nonetheless

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern とは mean? ▼

I was surprised that; the fact that ~

What JLPT level is とは? ▼

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 とは in a sentence? ▼

Attach とは (towa) 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 とは formal or casual Japanese? ▼

とは 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 とは 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.