N2 Appearance, Impressions, and Feelings

~ものがある: meaning, usage and examples

~ものがある means: there is something... / one feels...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 彼かれの話はなしには、感動かんどうするものがある。

   There's something moving about his story.

2. この映画えいがには、考かんがえさせられるものがある。

   This movie has something thought-provoking.

3. この町まちの古ふるい街まち並なみには、心こころを落おち着つかせるものがある。

   There is something calming about this town's old streets.

4. 仕事しごとと子育こそだての両立りょうりつには、大変たいへんなものがある。

   There is something truly hard about balancing work and raising children.

When to use it

ものがある expresses a strong impression that the speaker feels about a situation: "there is something truly..." It lets the speaker share an emotional judgment without stating it bluntly, as in 彼かれの演奏えんそうには人ひとの心こころを動うごかすものがある. It is common for praise, admiration, or a sense of difficulty.

Nuance

Slightly formal; common in reviews, essays and thoughtful speech. It expresses the speaker's own feeling based on observation, so it is not used for plain facts. Typical words before it: 感かんじる, 驚おどろく, 胸むねを打うつ, 厳きびしい, 難むずかしい.

Compare

ことがある means "sometimes" or "there are times when" (たまに遅おくれることがある). ものだ states a general truth or nostalgia (昔むかしはよく遊あそんだものだ). ものがある gives a personal impression drawn from what the speaker saw or heard, often after a topic marked with には: この作品さくひんには驚おどろくものがある.

Tip: Replace ものがある with "there is something ... about it." If that English sounds right, the pattern fits. If you mean "sometimes," use ことがある.