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Formation: V／い-Adj plain + ものを; な-Adj + な + ものを; often 〜ば／〜たら + V-た + ものを

〜ものを expresses regret, frustration or reproach that something did not turn out as it could have. It often closes a sentence after a conditional, as in 言ってくれれば手伝ったものを ('if only you had told me, I would have helped'). In the middle of a sentence it works like 'even though', with a following clause that says what actually and regrettably happened. It sounds somewhat literary and emotional, and it is often aimed at someone else's poor choice but can also be about oneself. Compare 〜のに, the everyday equivalent with the same feeling but a less literary tone. 〜ものの is a neutral 'although' with no reproach, and 〜くせに criticises a person directly and is more contemptuous.

Variants: 〜ばよかったものを、〜たらいいものを

Examples

• 一言相談してくれれば手伝ったものを。
  If only you had said something, I would have helped.
• 早く病院に行けば治ったものを、彼は我慢し続けた。
  It could have been cured if he had gone to the hospital early, yet he just kept putting up with it.
• 黙っていればいいものを、彼は余計な一言を言ってしまった。
  He should have just kept quiet, but he went and said one word too many.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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