The best thing is to: 〜ことだ
Verb (dictionary / ない) + ことだ
Verb (dictionary / ない) + ことだ: “the best thing is (not) to”, firm advice to an equal or someone younger. Not to be confused with ということだ (I hear that).
In short
〜ことだ gives firm advice: “the best thing is to…”, “what you need to do is…”. 風邪を治したいなら、よく寝ることだ, “if you want to get over your cold, the best thing is to get plenty of sleep”. It's used towards an equal or someone younger, never towards a superior.
- 風邪を早く治したいなら、よく寝ることだ。かぜをはやくなおしたいなら、よくねることだ。If you want to get over your cold quickly, the best thing is to get plenty of sleep.
- 日本語が上手になりたければ、毎日話すことだ。にほんごがじょうずになりたければ、まいにちはなすことだ。If you want to get better at Japanese, you need to speak it every day.
- 人の悪口は言わないことだ。ひとのわるぐちはいわないことだ。The best thing is not to speak ill of others.
The basics
こと means “thing, fact”. 〜ことだ literally says “it's that thing”: that's the solution. It's used for precise, firm advice, often after a condition with 〜なら, 〜たければ, 〜たいなら — English “the best thing is to…”, “what you should do is…”.
If you want to get over your cold, the best thing is to get plenty of sleep.
- verb
- other
- grammatical form
- 京都を楽しみたいなら、朝早く出かけることだ。きょうとをたのしみたいなら、あさはやくでかけることだ。If you want to enjoy Kyoto, the best thing is to go out early in the morning.
- 疲れたときは、無理をしないことだ。つかれたときは、むりをしないことだ。When you're tired, the best thing is not to push yourself.
How to form it
Verb in the dictionary form + ことだ (“do that”) or the ない-form + ことだ (“don't do that”). Politely: ことです. The tone remains that of someone advising from above: a parent, a teacher, an elder.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb + ことだ | the best thing is to | 毎日練習することだ |
| Verb in ない + ことだ | the best thing is not to | 諦めないことだ |
| polite | 〜ことです | まずは休むことです |
- まずはゆっくり休むことです。まずはゆっくりやすむことです。First of all, you need to get some proper rest. (doctor to a patient)
- 夢があるなら、諦めないことだ。ゆめがあるなら、あきらめないことだ。If you have a dream, whatever you do, don't give up.
ことだ, ほうがいい, べきだ, ということだ
ほうがいい is flexible, polite advice (“you'd better”). べきだ is about what you morally should do (“you ought to”). ことだ is direct advice, expert to beginner. And watch out for ということだ, which has nothing to do with it: it passes on information (“I hear that”).
| Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ほうがいい | flexible advice | 早く寝たほうがいい |
| 〜べきだ | moral duty | 約束は守るべきだ |
| 〜ことだ | firm advice, from above | 早く寝ることだ |
| 〜ということだ | hearsay, information | 明日は休みだということだ |
- 部長は来週から休みだということだ。ぶちょうはらいしゅうからやすみだということだ。I hear the manager will be away from next week.
Common mistakes
- Advising a superior with ことだ: 「先生、早く寝ることです」 would be very rude; say 早くお休みになったほうがいいですよ instead.
- Mixing it up with ということだ: 雨が降るということだ = “I hear it's going to rain”, not advice.
- Putting the verb in the past: 「寝たことだ」 isn't advice; it's always the dictionary form or the ない-form.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N3 point is on the Eizan Line (The body and health) of the Kyoto lines.