Meaning
〜ものか (or casual もんか) expresses strong negation and the speaker's firm refusal or disbelief. It conveys the speaker's feelings and strong intention, often used as a complaint or grumble. The pattern fundamentally means 'there's no way I would do that' or 'I absolutely refuse to.' Women may use the form ものですか/もんですか in conversation.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞辞書形 | ものか／もんか |
| い形容词 | ものか／もんか |
| な形容词 な | ものか／もんか |
| 名词 な | ものか／もんか |
Examples
-
あのレストランのウェイターはお客さんに対する態度が悪いから、二度と行くものか。
That restaurant's waiter has such a bad attitude toward customers—I'll never go there again! -
A:あなたの元彼、新しい彼女ができたらしいよ。 B:そんなこと知るもんか。
A: Your ex-boyfriend apparently got a new girlfriend. B: Like I care about that! -
A:最近景気がいいみたいですね。 B:いいものですか。最近日本円の価値が下がるばかりで、うちのような輸入企業は大変苦しんでいます。
A: Business seems to be going well lately, doesn't it? B: Well? The yen keeps losing value, and import companies like ours are really struggling.
Summary
- Used to express strong negative feelings, refusal, or disbelief about something
- Contains the speaker's emotional emphasis and unwavering determination not to do something
- Casual form もんか and feminine forms ものですか/もんですか are common in spoken Japanese