This phrase shows strong feelings. It is like saying 'How...!' or 'What a...!' in English. You use it to show surprise, happiness, sadness, or anger.
Verb [た-form] + ことかPrimary
い-Adjective + ことか
な-Adjective + な + ことか
This phrase shows strong feelings. It is like saying 'How...!' or 'What a...!' in English. You use it to show surprise, happiness, sadness, or anger.
あの難しい試験に合格できた時、どれほど嬉しかったことか。
How happy I was when I managed to pass that difficult exam!
亡き母が元気だった頃、もっと話しておけばよかったと、何度後悔したことか。
How many times have I regretted not talking more with my late mother when she was still healthy.
このプロジェクトが成功するまで、これからどんなに眠れない夜が続くことか。
I can only imagine how many sleepless nights are to come until this project succeeds.
頂上から見た朝焼けが、いかに美しかったことか、言葉では表現できないほどでした。
It's impossible to express in words just how beautiful the sunrise was as seen from the summit.
約束の時間から一時間も過ぎている。彼をどれだけ待ったことか。
It's already been an hour past our meeting time. How long I've waited for him!
Imagine you are so surprised or happy. You want to show how strong your feeling is. You use 〜ことか to make your words sound very strong. It is like saying "How amazing!" or "What a surprise!"
This is different from 〜てたまらない and 〜てならない. 〜ことか shows strong feelings about how much something is true. It is like saying "How great!" or "How sad!" It is often a thought about something. But 〜てたまらない and 〜てならない show a feeling you have right now. You cannot control this feeling. For example, "I am so sad, I can't bear it." So, 〜ことか talks about how strong something is. The others talk about a strong feeling inside you.
Don't use this when you just state a fact. For example, don't say "How sunny it is!" with this pattern. It is for strong feelings only.
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