Tomodai
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とは

“(I didn’t expect that) … / To think that …” “The fact that … (is surprising / noteworthy / unacceptable)” → Used to highlight surprise, evaluation, criticism, or strong reaction toward a fact, situation, or definition.

N1

Meaning

“(I didn’t expect that) … / To think that …” “The fact that … (is surprising / noteworthy / unacceptable)” → Used to highlight surprise, evaluation, criticism, or strong reaction toward a fact, situation, or definition.

Formation

Clause (plain form) + とは
Noun + とは

Explanation

とは is used when the speaker wants to single out a fact or situation and react to it with:

✔ とは = highlighting a fact with evaluation or surprise

  • surprise

  • disbelief

  • criticism

  • evaluation

  • emphasis

The speaker implies:

“This is not what I expected”
or
“This fact deserves special attention”

It is not a neutral topic marker like は.
It carries evaluation or emotional distance.

It commonly appears in:

  • reactions to unexpected events

  • evaluative statements

  • formal or written Japanese

  • JLPT N1 reading passages

💡 Core nuance:
“The fact that X is (surprising / notable / unacceptable).”