Tuesday, August 29, 2023

konna koto mo arou ka to こんなこともあろうかと

In Japanese, konna koto mo arou ka to こんな事もあろうかと, meaning "[I] thought something like this might happen, [so I prepared this in advance]," is a phrase commonly as a gag in comedy manga and anime, by a character who is just too well prepared, specially for a situation nobody would have expected to happen.

Examples of konna koto mo arou ka to こんな事もあろうかと.
Manga: Ya Boy Kongming!, Paripi Koumei パリピ孔明
Manga: SPY×FAMILY

Grammar

For reference, we can break down the phrase konna koto mo arou ka to like this:

  • konna koto
    こんなこと
    This sort of thing. (as in a "thing" that happens.)
    • konna こんな - "this sort of." See konna, sonna, anna, donna.
    • koto - used to refer to a "thing" that happens. As opposed to mono, which is a "thing" as in a physical object.
      • c.f. konna mono wa iranai! こんなものはいらない!, "[I] don't need this sort of thing!", "[I] don't need something of this sort!"
  • konna koto wa aru
    こんなことはある
    This sort of thing (that happens) exists.
    This sort of thing happens.
  • konna koto mo aru
    こんなことある
    This sort of thing, too, happens.
    This sort of thing also happens.
  • konna koto mo arou
    こんなこともあろう
    This sort of thing might also happen.
  • ~ka to ~かと
    This is the ka か particle, used for doubt, questions, followed by the to と particle, used to quote something someone said, thought.
    • In this case it makes sense to think of this as an abbreviation of ~ka to omotte ~かと思って, "[I] thought (this was the case) so..." with omou in te-form, based on its usage when it's at the end of a sentence.
    • kirei ka to [omoimashita]
      綺麗かと
      [I] [thought] [it] was pretty.
    • Although ka か typically expresses interrogatives, with ~ka to ~かと this isn't exactly the case. For example, a common phrase is:
    • shinu ka to omotta!
      死ぬかと思った!
      [I] thought [I] would die!
      [I] thought [I] was going to die!
    • Did the speaker literally think shinu ka 死ぬか, "am [I] going to die?" That sounds unlikely. It makes more sense to think the function of ka か in this case is somewhat similar to the function of "would" in English.

Examples

For reference, some examples of konna koto mo arou ka to being used.

みんなすごい格好・・ 私の格好場違いじゃない? ふふふ・・ そんな事もあろうかと・・ 先程ドンキで調達しておきました ダッサァァァ!! イェーイ
Manga: Ya Boy Kongming!, Paripi Koumei パリピ孔明 (Chapter 10, 六本木に遠征す)
  • Context: a master military strategist from ancient China came prepared to a club.
  • minna sugoi kakkou..
    みんなすごい格好・・
    Everyone's "appearance" is amazing. (in reference to how they're dressed.)
  • watashi no kakkou bachigai janai?
    私の格好場違いじゃない?
    Isn't my "appearance" out of place?
    Isn't the way I'm dressed out of place?
  • fufufu...
    ふふふ・・
    *laugh*
  • sonna koto mo arou ka to..
    そんな事もあろうかと・・
    [I] [thought] something like that might happen [so]..
  • sakihodo Donki de choutatsu shite-okimashita
    先程ドンキで調達しておきました
    [I] procured [this] at Donki's (a store) earlier.
  • dassaaaa!!
    ダッサァァァ!!
    Lameeee!!
  • ieei
    イェ
    Yay.
ジャーーッ ・・・ふんっ期待外れだ 初戦はただの田舎者だったか・・・ 泥にまみれた格好でわが格好に入れると思うなよ K‐212番をつまみ出せ ああ・・・この人たちはボクのせいで不合格に・・・ あの・・・ごめんなさい ごそごそ ふぅ シャキーーン こんなこともあろうかと着替え一式持参しておいて良かったですね! こんなこともあろうかと思わんでしょ普通・・・!! ええええ
Manga: SPY×FAMILY (Chapter 4)
  • Context: a family has to pass an secret exam of elegance in order to enroll at a prestigious school. During the exam, they rescue a boy which causes their clothes to get dirty.
  • jaaa'
    ジャ
    *sound of rushing water*
  • ...fun' kitai-hazure da
    ・・・ふんっ 期待外れ
    Hmm, [it] is misplaced-expectations. (literally.)
    Hmm, [I] expected too much of them.
  • shosen wa tada no inaka-mono datta ka...
    初戦はただの田舎者だったか・・・
    In the end, [they] were just a bunch of country bumpkins, huh...
    • inaka-mono 田舎者 - a "person," mono, from the "countryside," inaka.
  • {{doro ni mamireta} kakkou de waga manabi-ya ni haireru} to omou na yo
    泥にまみれた格好でわが学舎に入れると思うなよ
    Don't think that {[you] will be able to enter our school in [those clothes] {covered in mud}}
    • manabi-ya 学舎 - literally "house of study," spelled without okurigana for the noun form manabi 学び. This is an elegant term for "school."
    • haireru - "able to enter," potential form of hairu 入る.
  • ke-ni-hyaku-juu-ni-ban wo tsumami-dase
    K‐212番つまみ出せ
    Throw out number K-212.
  • aa... kono hito-tachi wa boku no sei de fugoukaku ni...
    ああ・・・この人たちはボクのせいで不合格に・・・
    Aah... these people, because of me, will [become] disqualified...
    (incomplete sentence.)
  • ano... gomen nasai...
    あの・・・ごめんなさい・・・
    Erm... [I] am sorry....
  • gosogoso
    ごそごそ
    *rustling*
  • fuu
    ふぅ
    *sigh*
  • shakiinn
    シャキーーン
    *sharp sound effect*
    • The anime adaptation actually plays this sound.
    • It's used here because the characters changed clothes.
  • {{konna koto mo arou} ka to kigae isshiki jisan shite-oite} yokatta desu ne!
    こんなこともあろうかと着替え一式持参しておいて良かったですね!
    [It] was good that {[thinking] {something like this might happen}, [we] brought one set of change (of clothes)}, wasn't it!?
  • {konna koto mo arou} ka to omowan desho futsuu...!!
    こんなこともあろうかと思わんでしょ普通・・・!!
    [You] wouldn't think {something like this would happen}, [would you], normally...!!
    (dislocation.)
  • eeee
    ええええ
    Ehhhhhh.

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  1. thanks! i just found your website, this is really helpful!

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