文法: Grammar a Day - Level 1 [ ものを (monowo) ]

ものを (monowo) - But...! / But If (you) had just... / But (I) could
have...

--- Notes ---
Verb(普通形) + ものを

This grammar is almost always in the form of 〜ば〜ものを。
Sometimes it becomes 'もんを' in casual speech.

〜ものを：　（．．．だったら）〜のに　（実際は〜でなくて残念だという気持ち）
If only ... had.... , then....would..

--- Examples ---
知ってるのであれば、教えてくれてもいいものを。
If you knew, why didn't you tell me!?

人手が足りなかったんですって？ちょっと連絡してくれれば、手伝ってあげたものを。
You didn't have enough people? If you had just called me, I would have
helped you.

インターネットで予約すれば簡単にすむものを、彼女は国際電話をかけたんだって。
If she had just used the internet, she could have easily made the
reservation, but she made an international call.

本当のことを言えばいいものを、彼は嘘をついて信用を失ってしまった。
He should have told the truth, but he lied and lost their trust.

--- Comments ---
This can often be replaced with 〜のに
早く言えばよかったのに。
早く言えばよかったものを。

This is used to express the speakers moderate disappointment or regret.
(contributor: blabby)

Isn't ものを　always used with 〜た形?
Because, ものを is 'but...' where something regrettable happened , and
couldn't/almost impossible to be recovered from. (contributor: 誠)

So, i feel ex#5494 is better to be :
本当のことを言えばよかったものを、彼は嘘をついて信用を失ってしまった。or
彼は嘘をついて信用が失われてしまった。本当のことを言えばよかったものを。
(contributor: 誠)

ex#5493　は同じです。
インタ−ネットで予約すれば簡単に済んだものを、彼女は国際電話をかけたんだって。or
彼女は国際電話をかけたんだって。インタ−ネットで予約すれば簡単に済んだものを。
(contributor: 誠)

ex#5491
知ってるのであれば、教えてくれてもよかったものを。'If
you had known, it would be OK even you told me.'(But now it means not OK to
the speaker since before this , the listener DIDN'T KNOW about that
particular thing and told the speaker about it already.) Sounds strange to
me, unless the speaker wanted it to be known to him at that particular time
, in that case :
あの時知れば、教えてくれてもよかったものを。


Is better to say :
知ってるのであれば、教えてくれてよかったものを。or
(君が）知っていて教えてくれればよかったものを。'It
would be nice if you had known and told me.'

I think if you wanted to say :
' If you have known, why didn't you tell me?' (Of agony) :
知ってるのであれば、どうして教えてくれなかったのよ．．

'If you have known, isn't it ok to tell me?' :
知ってるのであれば、教えてくれてもいいんじゃない（か）。
(contributor: 誠)

You have to keep in mind that ものを is not a conversational phrase, and
it is predominantly literal diction. (contributor: bamboo4)

I don't thinsk it always used with 〜た形。blabby's exmples are all
natural to me.
(contributor: Miki)

Miki and blabby are right. It doesn't have to be 〜た形. (contributor:
tmkain)

--- View this entry online ---
http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=monowo