〜ことに

About

〜ことに, often translated as "to my (emotion)", is used to emphasize the speaker's feelings.

〜ことに can attach to い-adjectives in their dictionary form, past casual verbs, and な-adjectives using な.

E.g. 驚おどろいたことに、もう工事こうじが終おわったらしい。 "To my surprise, the construction was apparently already over."

E.g. 嬉うれしいことに、教おしえ子ごが頻繁ひんぱんに訪たずねてきてくれます。 "I'm quite glad that my student visits me often."

E.g. 残念ざんねんなことに、ドーナツは全部ぜんぶ売うり切きれでした。 "Unfortunately, (they) were all sold out of donuts."

〜ことに can't be attached to any verb/adjective that expresses emotion, and there are a number of common combinations that tend to be used:

・驚おどろいたことに

・悲かなしいことに

・おもしろいことに

・残念ざんねんなことに

・悔くやしいことに

・困こまったことに

・嬉うれしいことに

・ありがたいことに

・呆あきれたことに

Summary

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  〜ことに is used to emphasize the speaker's feelings

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  〜ことに is often translated as "to my (emotion)"

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  ～ことに is used with a number of set verbs/adjectives