たものだ | Grammar

Structure

[verb た (past plain form)] + ものだ

[v5 た-form] + ものだ
[v1 た-form] + ものだ
[した] + ものだ
[来た] + ものだ

Often preceded by よく; used with time expressions like 昔、子供の頃、若い頃、学生時代

Description

The structure たものだ is used to nostalgically recall past habits, routines, or situations that no longer occur. It expresses a sense of fond reminiscence – similar to "used to do" or "would often do" in English – and carries an emotional nuance of looking back on the past with feeling.

Nostalgic recollection of past habits

たものだ is used when the speaker is reflecting on something they habitually did in the past but no longer do. It often appears with time expressions like むかし昔、こどものころ子供の頃、わかいころ若い頃、がくせいじだい学生時代, and frequency words like よく.

、。

When I was a child, I used to often swim in the river.

。

I used to play in this park a lot back in the day.

。

In my student days, I used to study late every night.

The speaker is not simply stating a fact about the past – they are emotionally reflecting on it. Compare:

むかし昔、よくここにきた来た。 – I used to come here often. (neutral past statement)
むかし昔、よくここにきた来たものだ。 – I used to come here often. (nostalgic reflection)

Important nuances

たものだ is primarily used for first-person recollections or shared experiences. It sounds most natural when the speaker is reminiscing about their own past or a past they experienced together with the listener.

The polite form is たものです.

。

My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days.

Do not confuse たものだ (nostalgic past) with other uses of ものだ:

ものだ (general truth): ひと人はだれでも誰でもまちがえる間違えるものだ。 – Everyone makes mistakes. (That's just how it is.)
たいものだ (wish/desire): いちど一度ぱりパリにいきたい行きたいものだ。 – I'd love to go to Paris someday.

Examples

、。

When I was a child, I used to play outside with friends every day.

。

When I was young, I would often stay up all night reading books.

。

There used to be a lot of rice paddies around here.

、。

In my student days, I used to drink coffee at this café.

。

My grandfather used to often talk about the war.

、。

Whenever summer break came, I would always go to my grandmother's house.

、。

Back in those days, I used to go to the beach every weekend.

、。

When I was little, my mother used to read picture books to me.

、。

In my college days, my friends and I used to talk together until morning.

。

I used to fight with my older brother a lot.

。

I used to take walks along this road.

。

My father used to take me fishing on his days off.

References

Used to ～たものだ嘗てimabi.org
たものだBunpro