174
事
Thing, Matter, Event
こと (koto)
JLPT N4
Interesting Fact
Japanese has two famous ways of talking about "things": もの (物) and こと (事). But they don't represent the same kind of thing. 物 is generally something you can think of as a tangible object, while 事 deals with things that happen, actions, experiences, facts, or situations. So a smartphone can be 物, but using the smartphone is 事. A birthday cake is 物; celebrating your birthday is 事.
Memory Trick
🪧 事 Symbol looks like a sign hanging from a pole—every sign tells you about a 事, a thing or matter.
Readings
Onyomi: ジ (ji), ズ (zu)
Kunyomi: こと (koto)
Example Words
仕事
しごと (shigoto)
Work
大事
だいじ (daiji)
Important
食事
しょくじ (shokuji)
Meal
事故
じこ (jiko)
Accident
Example Sentence
大事な 事を 忘れました。
だいじな ことを わすれました。
daiji na koto o wasuremashita
I forgot something important.