「〜ものがある」: When Emotions are Hard to Name ✨

Have you ever stood before a landscape, listened to a piece of music, or witnessed an action and felt a powerful emotion rise within you, but words like「すごい」「悲しい」「美しい」just weren't enough to describe it?

That's when the Japanese use a very subtle “weapon”: 〜ものがある.

This is a structure that textbooks rarely explain in detail, but it's used frequently by native speakers to express deep feelings and subjective impressions that no single word can capture.

The 「もの」here is something intangible 🧐

When we hear「もの」(mono), we usually think of a “thing” or “object.” But in this structure,「もの」has a completely abstract meaning. It's “something,” a quality, a presence, a feeling that can't be clearly defined but is very real.

It transforms a simple observation into a heartfelt confession.

Let's look at examples to see the difference!

🎨 Example 1: When commenting on art

• Normal:

  この古い写真を見ると、悲しいです。 (Looking at this old photo, I feel sad.)

• Using「〜ものがある」:

  この古い写真には、寂寥感（せきりょうかん）を感じさせるものがある。 (In this old photo, there is “something” that makes one feel a sense of loneliness and desolation.)

➡️ The feeling is no longer just “sad” (悲しい), but a deeper sadness, something a bit wistful and indescribable. You're not imposing your emotion; you're just describing a “quality” that emanates from the photo.

👨‍💼 Example 2: When commenting on a person

• Normal:

  彼のスピーチは素晴らしかったです。 (His speech was wonderful.)

• Using「〜ものがある」:

  彼のスピーチには、人の心を動かすものがありました。 (In his speech, there was “something” that moved people's hearts.)

➡️ Instead of a generic compliment like “wonderful,” you've pointed out an invisible but extremely powerful quality. It shows you were truly listening and feeling.

😟 Example 3: When expressing dissatisfaction subtly

• Direct:

  今のやり方には納得できません！ (I can't accept the current way of doing things!)

• Using「〜ものがある」:

  今のやり方には、少々強引なものがあると感じます。 (I feel that the current way of doing things has “a little something” that is a bit forceful/coercive.)

➡️ The statement becomes much softer. You're not directly confronting, but merely presenting your feeling about a “characteristic” of the issue. This way of speaking both gets your point across and avoids offending the other person.

The Takeaway 💡

Use 「〜ものがある」 when you want to express:

• A strong, deep feeling.
• A subjective, personal impression.
• Something vague and hard to put into words, but that you feel very clearly.

Mastering this trick will make your comments no longer superficial, but have depth and touch the hearts of your listeners much more. Give it a try!