Turning Verbs into Nouns in Japanese: こと vs の

One of the first challenges Japanese learners encounter is how to transform verbs into nouns—something we often need to do to describe actions, thoughts, and experiences. In English, we might say, “I like swimming” or “Reading is fun.” In Japanese, we do the same by turning verbs into noun-like phrases using こと and の.

At first glance, こと and の might seem interchangeable, but they each carry different nuances and are used in slightly different contexts. In this post, we’ll break down the differences between them and show how to use each correctly.

1. Why Turn Verbs into Nouns?

In Japanese, verbs can’t stand alone as the subject or object of a sentence. If you want to say something like “I like running” or “Learning is important,” you need to turn those verbs (run, learn) into nouns. This is where こと and の come in.

For example:

走はしることが好すきです。(I like running.)
勉強べんきょうするのは大切たいせつです。(Studying is important.)

Both examples use verbs (走はしる = to run, 勉強べんきょうする = to study) turned into noun phrases.

2. Using こと: General Actions and Abstract Ideas

こと is more formal and abstract. It’s often used when referring to general actions, ideas, or concepts. You’ll see it often in writing, formal speech, and objective statements.

Examples:

日本語にほんごを話はなすことは難むずかしいです。(Speaking Japanese is difficult.)
毎日運動まいにちうんどうすることは健康けんこうにいいです。(Exercising every day is good for your health.)

Key points about こと:

More formal or abstract.
Often used in rules, instructions, and general truths.
Often shows up in written or polite contexts.

3. Using の: Personal Feelings and Specific Situations

の, when used this way, is actually a nominalizer—it turns a verb phrase into a noun. It sounds more casual and is commonly used in spoken Japanese. It often carries a feeling of personal experience or emotion.

Examples:

歌うたうのが好すきです。(I like singing.)
朝早あさはやく起おきるのはつらい。(Waking up early is tough.)

Key points about の:

More casual and personal.
Often used in speech and informal writing.
Emphasizes the action as an experience or specific event.

4. Are こと and の Interchangeable?

Sometimes yes, but not always.

✅ Interchangeable:

In many casual contexts, especially with verbs like “to like” or “to be good at,” both can be used.

ピアノを弾ひくのが好すきです。
ピアノを弾ひくことが好すきです。(I like playing the piano.)

Both are grammatically correct, but の sounds a bit more personal and conversational, while こと feels a bit more detached or formal.

❌ Not interchangeable:

In formal rules, instructions, or fixed expressions, only こと is natural.

宿題しゅくだいを提出ていしゅつすること。✅ (Submit your homework. — as an instruction)
宿題しゅくだいを提出ていしゅつするの。❌ (Sounds unnatural in this context)

Likewise, for describing personal memories or feelings, の is often preferred.

昨日映画きのうえいがを見みるのが楽たのしかった。✅ (Watching a movie yesterday was fun.)
昨日映画きのうえいがを見みることが楽たのしかった。❌ (Sounds awkward or overly stiff)

5. Quick Comparison Table

Usage	こと	の
Formality	Formal	Informal
Tone	Objective, general	Personal, emotional
Context	Writing, rules, general facts	Speech, personal experiences
Example	日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうすることは大切たいせつだ。	日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうするのが好すき。

6. Final Tips

When in doubt, use こと in writing and の in speech.
Listen to native speakers and notice which one they use in different situations.
Practice turning verbs into both こと and の phrases to get a feel for the difference.

Learning how to nominalize verbs using こと and の is a big step toward expressing more complex ideas in Japanese. With practice, you’ll start to feel the difference naturally and use each one with confidence.

Have any questions or want examples with your own sentences? Drop them in the comments! 😊

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