Watashi-no shumi-wa densha-no shashin-o toru koto-nan-desu.

My hobby is taking pictures of trains.

Situation 1: Mr. Sere is chatting with Mr. Ishida about hobbies.

石田： 私の趣味は電車の写真をとることなんです。

セレ： そうですか。日本には電車が好きな人が多いですね。

Ishida: Watashi-no shumi-wa densha-no shashin-o toru koto-nan-desu.

Sere: Sō-desu-ka. Nihon-ni-wa densha-ga sukina hito-ga ōi-desu-ne.

Ishida: My hobby is taking pictures of trains.

Sere: Oh, really? There are a lot of people who like trains in Japan, aren't there?

Last week we introduced X[=noun modifier]の, which forms a noun clause. Today we look at X[=noun modifier]こと, which does the same thing. X is a verb, adjective or noun in noun-modifying form. However, a noun sentence in non-past affirmative form becomes noun +だ/+であるということ, as in ミナが学生(がくせい)だということを知(し)っていますか (Did you know that Mina is a student?). ことcan be replaced by の in some cases. While こと is used to express more abstract matters, の is used to communicate concrete facts or actions in spoken language. Example: 何(なん)でもやり続(つづ)けることが大切(たいせつ)です (Whatever you do, it's important to keep at it). In the pattern of Y[noun 1]はX[=noun modifier]ことだ/ことである, こと cannot be replaced by の. Example: 私(わたし)の夢(ゆめ)は世界一周旅行(せかいいっしゅうりょこう)をすることです (My dream is to travel around the world). こと also cannot be replaced by の in the pattern Y[phrase]のはX[=noun modifier]ことです/だ/である — where の already been used to denote the noun phrase Y — as in: 一番(いちばん)大変(たいへん)だったのは、アパートを探(さが)すことでした (The most difficult thing was finding an apartment).

Situation 2: Ms. Gray and Mr. Mita speak after visiting a client.

グレイ： 田町さんに、きょうはこのあと会社に戻らないことを 伝えてもらえる？

三田： わかった。じゃ、お客さんとの打ち合わせのことも 話しておくね。

Gray: Tamachi-san-ni, kyō-wa kono ato kaisha-ni modoranai koto-o tsutaete-moraeru?

Mita: Wakatta. Ja, o-kyaku-san-to-no uchiawase-no koto-mo hanashite-oku-ne.

Gray: Can you tell Ms. Tamachi that I won't be coming back to the office today?

Mita: OK. In that case, I'll also tell her what we talked about with the client in the meeting.

There are verbs that do not use の instead of こと. These are related to speaking, such as 伝(つた)える (to tell), 話(はな)す (to speak), 約束(やくそく)する (to promise), 命(めい)じる (to order), 祈(いの)る (to pray), 希望(きぼう)する (to hope). Example: 来年(らいねん)もまたここに来(く)ることを約束(やくそく)し た (I promised I'd come back here next year). There are also some sentence patterns that use こと and not の. They are: X[verb in dictionary form]ことができる (to be able to X); X[verb in ta-form]ことがある (someone has done X); X[verb in dictionary form]ことがある (someone/something sometimes does X/X sometimes happens); X[verb in dictionary or nai form]ことにする(to decide to X); X[verb in dictionary or nai form]ことになる (it is decided that X), etc. Example: 沖縄(おきなわ)に行(い)ったことがあります (I've been to Okinawa).

Bonus Dialogue: In a meeting, division head Ms. Yamani is explaining about a new system to section chief Mr. Okubo.

ヤマニ： 来月(らいげつ)から、新(あたら)しいシステムを導入(どうにゅう)することにしました。以前(いぜん)よりもっと簡単(かんたん)に事務処理(じむしょり)をすることができます。

大久保： そうですか。前(まえ)のは使(つか)わない人もいたようですが。

ヤマニ： このシステムは、全社員(ぜんしゃいん)が利用(りよう) することになりますので、かなりシンプルにしました。

大久保： それは助(たす)かります。あと、不安(ふあん)なのは、 個人情報(こじんじょうほう)がもれることなんですが。

ヤマニ： 今度(こんど)は大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です。かなり強化(きょうか)しましたから。ただ、課題(かだい)はみんながパスワードを管理(かんり)できるかということです。 毎月(まいつき)変(か)えなければならないので...。

大久保： [ひとりごと]それはもっと大変(たいへん)だ...。

Yamani: We've decided to bring in a new system from next month. It'll make doing office work easier than before.

Okubo: Really? It seems some people didn't use the old system.

Yamani: It's been decided that this system should be used by all staff, so we made sure it was really simple.

Okubo: That's helpful for us. Also, I'm a bit worried about the possibility of personal information leaking.

Yamani: You don't have to worry this time. The security has been strengthened a lot. But the problem is whether everyone can manage their passwords. We have to change them every month.

Okubo: [To himself] That's harder than before ...