“〜mono ga aru”: There's Something 〜 About It (a felt quality) [JLPT N1]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「考えさせられるものがある」「目を見張るものがある」 — there's a real, felt quality to it, hard to put into words.
「彼の努力には目を見張るものがある」 — there really is something that makes you ～
To praise from the heart “his effort really has something that makes you take notice,” 「彼の努力には目を見張るものがある」 — 「〜ものがある」 = there really is a ～ feeling／quality／force (it really is ～, there really is a certain ～). This guide clarifies its “heartfelt affirmation, deep feeling” tone, its common collocations (目を見張る／心を打つ), and separating it from the plain 「〜だ」 and the exclamatory 「〜ものだ.」
Core: there really is something that makes you ～ (a heartfelt sentiment)
「verb dictionary form／i-adj／na-adj ＋ ものがある」 means “there really is a ～ (feeling, quality, force); it really is ～” — the speaker feels, from the heart, some quality, force, or emotion, with the affirming tone of “truly, one has to admit”:
- 彼の話には、人を引きつけるものがある (his talk really has something that draws people in).
- あの選手の集中力には、目を見張るものがある (that athlete's focus really is something to marvel at).
- 長年の友との別れは、寂しいものがある (parting from a friend of many years really has a loneliness to it).
Feel: it's not a plain statement “it is ～,” but the speaker feeling, acknowledging from the heart that “there really exists something that makes you ～,” with emotion, admiration, or deep feeling. In English: “there really is a ～ to it／it really is ～／there really is a certain ～.” Often with 「目を見張る (marvel at), 心を打つ (move the heart), 鬼気迫る (eerily intense).」
Attachment rules
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb dictionary form | 〜ものがある | 人を引きつけるものがある （there's something about it that draws people in） |
| i-adjective | 〜ものがある | 寂しいものがある （there's a certain loneliness to it） |
| na-adjective ＋ な | 〜なものがある | 独特なものがある （there's something distinctive about it） |
Example sentences
- 彼女の歌声には、聴く人の心を打つものがある。(Her singing voice really has something that moves the listener.)
- あの作品の完成度には、目を見張るものがある。(That work's polish really is something to marvel at.)
- 締め切り前の彼の集中力には、鬼気迫るものがある。(His focus before a deadline really has an eerie intensity.)
- 故郷を離れる寂しさには、言葉にできないものがある。(The loneliness of leaving home really has something beyond words.)
- 彼の努力には、本当に頭が下がるものがある。(His effort really does make you bow your head in respect.)
⚠️ Where learners slip up
① The core is the heartfelt affirmation ‘there really is a ～ to it,' not a plain ‘it is ～.' This is 「ものがある」's most crucial feel. It's not a plain statement “A is ～,” but the speaker feeling, acknowledging from the heart that “there really exists something／a quality／a force that makes you ～,” with emotion, admiration, deep feeling. Compare: 彼の話は面白い (his talk is interesting — a plain fact) vs 彼の話には、人を引きつけるものがある (his talk really has something that draws people in — feeling and acknowledging that charm from the heart). The latter adds the weight and feeling of “truly, one has to admit, deeply felt.” It's often used to praise from the heart someone's ability, work, attitude, or to feel deeply some situation (loneliness, reluctance to part). Test: to affirm, feel from the heart “there really is something that makes you ～／there really is a ～ to it” → ものがある; to just say “it is ～, it's very ～” → use 「〜だ／〜い.」
② Often with idiomatic collocations like 「目を見張る／心を打つ／頭が下がる.」 「ものがある」 very often pairs with a set of idioms for “impressive,” forming a fixed praise pattern: 目を見張るものがある (something to marvel at), 心を打つものがある (something that moves the heart), 頭が下がるものがある (something that makes you bow in respect), 鬼気迫るものがある (an eerie intensity). These collocations are almost all heartfelt praise of some marvel-worthy quality or force. Remember these high-frequency collocations, and on seeing them you'll know it's the praise “there really is something that makes you ～.” Test: these 「目を見張る／心を打つ／頭が下がる ＋ ものがある」 are high-frequency N1 fixed praise patterns.
③ Division of labor with 「〜ものだ」 — ものがある is ‘there really is a ～ to it,' ものだ is the exclamation／essence ‘(inherently) ～, isn't it.' 「ものがある」 and 「ものだ」 both contain 「もの」 and both can carry feeling, but differ in meaning. 「〜ものがある」 = there really is a ～ (feeling, quality, force); it really is ～ (affirming, feeling the existence of some quality from the heart): 彼の努力には目を見張るものがある (his effort really is something to marvel at — affirming the “existence” of that marvel-worthy quality). It emphasizes “there really exists something that makes you ～.” 「〜ものだ」 = (inherently) ～, isn't it／～ is a common thing (expressing essence, the norm, feeling, a truism, see 〈ものだ〉): 時間が経つのは早いものだ (time really does pass fast — feeling about the norm, essence), 若い頃は無茶をするものだ (in youth one does reckless things — essence, truism). It emphasizes “essence, common sense, a universal sentiment.” Difference: 「ものがある」 affirms “there really exists some ～ quality” (it really is ～, there really is a ～ to it); 「ものだ」 expresses essence, the norm, or feeling about a truism (it's inherently ～, isn't it, see 〈ものだ〉). Test: to say “(someone／something) really has a certain ～ quality, force” → ものがある; to voice feeling about “essence, the norm, a truism” as “it's inherently ～, isn't it” → ものだ (see 〈ものだ〉).
🔄 Compare with similar forms: ものがある／ものだ／〜だ／〜と言える
| Form | Emphasis | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ものがある | there really is a ～ quality, force (heartfelt affirmation, feeling) | 目を見張るものがある （there's something remarkable about it） |
| 〜ものだ | feeling about essence, the norm, a truism (it's inherently ～, see 〈ものだ〉) | 時間が経つのは早いものだ |
| 〜だ／〜い | a plain statement (it is ～, it's very ～) | 彼の話は面白い |
| 〜と言える | one can say ～ (an objective judgment, a conclusion) | 成功だったと言える （you could say it was a success） |
💡 The one thing to remember
「〜ものがある」 = there really is a ～ feeling／quality／force (it really is ～, there really is a certain ～) — three points: ① the core is the heartfelt affirmation “there really is a ～ to it” (not a plain “it is ～,” but feeling, acknowledging from the heart the existence of some ～ quality); ② often with idiomatic praise collocations like 「目を見張る／心を打つ／頭が下がる ＋ ものがある」; ③ division of labor with 「ものだ (feeling about essence, the norm, a truism, see 〈ものだ〉)」 — ものがある is the praise “there really is something that makes you ～.” This pattern suits praising, affirming from the heart some marvel-worthy quality or force — 「彼の努力には目を見張るものがある」 adds heartfelt feeling and weight over 「彼はよく努力する.」 To praise “there really is something that makes you ～” with the feeling of “truly, one has to admit,” 「〜ものがある」 is spot-on.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: What's the difference between 「目を見張るものがある」 and 「目を見張る」? Why add 「ものがある」?
The difference is ‘the weight of heartfelt affirmation that “some quality really exists.”' 「目を見張る」 = to marvel at (a plain verb phrase): on its own it's a verb phrase, “to open one's eyes wide, to marvel,” usable alone: その成長には目を見張った (I marveled at that growth). 「目を見張るものがある」 = there really is something to marvel at (adding 「ものがある」 turns it into a heartfelt affirmation, a feeling pattern): with 「ものがある」 added, the whole becomes “there really exists something／a quality to marvel at,” adding the weight and feeling of “truly, one has to admit, deeply felt”: 彼の集中力には、目を見張るものがある (his focus really has something to marvel at — acknowledging, feeling from the heart the existence of that quality). Difference: 「目を見張る」 plainly describes an action／reaction (to marvel); 「目を見張るものがある」 affirms from the heart that “there really exists some marvel-worthy quality” (there really is a ～ to it), with heavier feeling and admiration. Test: to praise, affirm from the heart “(someone／something) really has a certain ～ quality, force” → use 「〜ものがある」 (目を見張るものがある／心を打つものがある); to just describe the action “(I) marvel” → use 「目を見張る.」 So 「ものがある」's role is to turn a description into a feeling pattern that “affirms from the heart that some quality really exists.”
Q: 「〜ものがある」 and 「〜ものだ」 both have 「もの」 — how do I tell them apart?
The difference is “there really is a ～ quality (existing)” vs “(inherently) it's just ～, isn't it (feeling).” 「〜ものがある」 = there really is a ～ (feeling, quality, force); it really is ～ (affirming the ‘existence' of some quality): it emphasizes “(someone／something) really has a certain ～ thing／quality,” a heartfelt affirmation, praise of some quality, force of a concrete object: 彼の演技には、鬼気迫るものがある (his acting really has an eerie intensity — affirming the “existence” of that quality), この問題には、考えさせられるものがある (this problem really has something that makes you think). It precedes a verb dictionary form／i-adj／na-adj ＋ な. 「〜ものだ」 = (inherently) ～, isn't it／～ is a common thing (expressing essence, the norm, a truism, feeling, see 〈ものだ〉): it emphasizes “(universally, inherently) it's just ～, isn't it,” feeling or stating about the norm, essence, a truism: 年を取ると、涙もろくなるものだ (with age one tears up easily — essence, the norm), 時の流れは早いものだ (how time flies — feeling), 約束は守るものだ (a promise ought to be kept — a truism, see 〈ものだ〉). Difference: 「ものがある」 affirms “(some object) really has a certain ～ quality, force” (there really is a ～ to it, about a concrete object); 「ものだ」 expresses “(universally, inherently) it's just ～, isn't it,” the norm, a truism, feeling (about a universal phenomenon, see 〈ものだ〉). Test trick: to say “(this person／this work) really has a certain ～ quality” (praise of a concrete object) → ものがある; to voice feeling or state a truism about “(universally) it's just ～, it's the norm” (about a universal phenomenon) → ものだ (see 〈ものだ〉). In short: ものがある = there really is a ～ quality (praising a concrete object); ものだ = it's inherently ～, isn't it (feeling about a universal essence).
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「あの映画の結末には、考えさせられる___。」(That movie's ending really has something thought-provoking about it)
(A) ことがある (B) ものがある (C) ものだ (D) ことだ
Q2. 「彼の絵には独特な___があると思う。」(I think his paintings really have something distinctive about them)
(A) もの (B) こと (C) ものがある（=「ある」 vs 「独特なものがある」） (D) どれでも
Q3. 「子供たちの歌声には、心を打つ___。」(The children's singing really has something moving about it)
(A) ものがある (B) ことがある (C) ものだ (D) ことだ
Q4. 「ものがある」が表す意味は？
(A) 何かが存在する
(B) 話者が主観的に感じる何か特別な性質・印象がある
(C) 時々〜が起きる
(D) 〜するのが当然だ
Q5. 「この景色には、言葉では表せない美しい___と思う。」(I feel this scenery has a beauty beyond words)
(A) ことがある (B) ものがある (C) ものだ (D) ことだ
Answer Explanations
1. (B) ものがある ── 「考えさせられるものがある」(there really is something thought-provoking) = emphasizing a subjective impression → ものがある.
2. (C) ものがある ── 「独特なものがある」(there really is something distinctive) = a subjectively felt quality → ものがある.
3. (A) ものがある ── 「心を打つものがある」(there really is something moving) = emphasizing a felt impression → ものがある.
4. (B) ── ものがある = the speaker subjectively senses some special quality or impression ("there really is that 〜 feeling"), carrying a tone of admiration.
5. (B) ものがある ── 「言葉では表せない美しいものがある」(there is a beauty beyond words) = emphasizing a subjective impression → ものがある.