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Grammar detail: ことに

ことに  do; happen; provide emphasis; differ
179 words
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ことに may be encountered as part of several different grammatical forms.
Most commonly, it is used as part of ことにする (to do) and ことになる (to happen).
わたし
まいあさ
毎朝
さんぽ
散歩
する
ことしている
I make it a rule to take a walk every morning.
えき
ことなっている
I am to meet him at five at the station.
ことに can also be used as a set phrase to provide emphasis. Most commonly it follows a plain form expression.
おどろ
いたことに is a standard expression meaning 'to my surprise', and ありがたいことに is a standard expression meaning 'thankfully'. However, ことに can be used to follow almost any plain form phrase to emphasize the situation or state that it follows.
うれ
しい
ことに
らいげつ
来月
から
きゅうりょう
給料
ひとつ
ほど
がる

I'm delighted that my salary is going up by ten percent next month.
ことに can also be used on its own to begin a clause. In this case, it means 'especially', and is interchangeable with the more common とくに.
ことに
ことし
今年
ような
さむ
きび
しい
ふゆ
いくら
ちゅうい
注意
しても
しすぎるということはない
Especially with this year's kind of extreme cold, it's not possible to be too careful.
Another very common pattern is こと as a nominalizer of the prior phrase followed by any verb which takes an object with に, of which there are many, such as 〜に
どうい
同意
する, 〜に
はんたい
反対
, 〜に
れる etc.
あなた
ひとり
一人
こと
どうい
同意
できない
I cannot consent to your going alone.
かのじょ
彼女
すわ
こと
れている

She is accustomed to sitting.
はは
わたし
アルバイトすること
はんたい
反対

My mother objected to my working part time.
そこ
こと
はんたい
反対

I object to going there.
Finally, ことに may be found as part of the phrase
こと
にする which means to differ from. However, in this expression, こと is usually written with kanji.
かれら
彼等
いけん
意見
こと
するのに
あいか
相変
わらず
なか

While they don't agree, they continue to be friends.
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Kanji used in this grammar

キョウ   surprised   おどろ to be surprised   おどろかす to surprise, to frighten   
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ドウ   おな same   
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イ    idea   
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ハン   ホン   タン    anti-   そらす to bend, to warp   そ to be warped, curved   
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タイ   ツイ    vis-a-vis   
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カン   なれる to get used to   ならす to tame   
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イ   こと different   
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シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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マイ   every, each
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チョウ   あさ morning   
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サン   ちらす to scatter, to distribute   ちらかす to scatter around   ちらかる to be in disorder   ち to fall (leaves etc)   
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ホ   フ   ブ   ある    あゆ to walk   
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ジ   とき time, occasion   
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エキ    station   
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カイ   エ   あ to meet   
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キ   うれしい happy   
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ライ   く to come   きた to be forthcoming   きた to induce   
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ガツ   ゲツ   つき month; moon   
キュウ    supply   
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リョウ    fee   
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イチ   イツ   ひと    ひと- one   
カツ   わ to separate, to divide   われる to split apart, to crack   わり proportion, 10%   さ to cut up   
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ジョウ   ショウ   うえ above   うわ- above   あげる to raise   あがる to rise   かみ first half, upper part   のぼ to climb   のぼせる to bring up, to raise   のぼ to bring up   
コン   キン   いま now   
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ネン   とし year   
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カン   さむ cold   
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ゲン   ゴン   きびしい severe   おごそ dignified, stately   
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トウ   ふゆ winter   
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チュウ   そそ to pour   
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ジン   ニン   ひと person   
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
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ヒ   かれ he   
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ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
ザ   すわ to sit   
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ボ   はは mother   
トウ   ひとしい equal, similar   
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ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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ソウ   ショウ    minister   あい- mutual   
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ヘン   unusual   かえる to alter, change   かわる to change   
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チュウ   なか friend; go-between   
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リョウ   よ good   
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