こんな

こ

ん

な

Meanings

pre-noun adjectival

this sort of; this kind of; like this; such

Refers to something close to the speaker (physically or psychologically), or to ideas just expressed by the speaker. Used before a noun.

See also: あんな · そんな · どんな

こんな本ほんを読よんだことがありますか。
Have you ever read this kind of book?
こんなに遅おそくまで起おきているのはよくない。
It's not good to stay up this late.

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Usage patterns

こんなに〈形けい容よう詞し〉to this extent; so ~
こんなに暑あつい日ひは久ひさしぶりだ。
It's been a long time since it was this hot.
こんな〈時とき〉にat a time like this
こんな時ときに電でん話わをかけるなんて非ひ常じょう識しきだ。
It's inconsiderate to call at a time like this.
こんなはずではなかったthis isn't how it was supposed to turn out
こんなはずではなかったのに、計けい画かくは失しっ敗ぱいしてしまった。
This wasn't how it was supposed to be, but the plan failed.

Grammar

こんな・こういうthis kind of; like thisN4

Related words· 6

そんなN4
こんな points to something close to the speaker or just mentioned by the speaker, while そんな points to something close to the listener or previously mentioned by the listener.
あんなN4
こんな describes something near the speaker, whereas あんな describes something distant from both speaker and listener or something they both already know.
こういう
こういう and こんな both mean 'this kind of', but こんな is more colloquial and tends to carry a stronger emotional or exclamatory nuance.
かよう
斯様 is a dated, formal literary word for 'this kind of', while こんな is the everyday casual equivalent used in ordinary conversation.

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こうした
こんな is more colloquial and common in spoken Japanese, while 斯うした is slightly more formal and typical of written language.
そのよう
こんな points to something close to the speaker (this kind of), while そのよう points to something already mentioned or associated with the listener (that kind of), and is more formal.

Don't confuse with· 5

どんなN4
こんな is a demonstrative meaning 'this kind of', while どんな is the interrogative form meaning 'what kind of', so they are easy to mix up despite their different function.
そんなN4
そんな points to something near the listener or just mentioned, while こんな points to something near the speaker or the speaker's own situation.
そういった
こんな means "this kind of" referring to something close to the speaker, whereas そう言った means "that kind of" referring to something already mentioned or closer to the listener.

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そういう
こんな points to something close to the speaker ('this kind of'), while そういう points to something already mentioned or near the listener ('that kind of').
こんなにN3
こんな is a pre-noun word that directly modifies a noun (こんな人), while こんなに is an adverb that modifies verbs and adjectives to show degree (こんなに大きい).

Written forms

こんなUsage100%
Kana-only pre-noun adjectival; no kanji form is used.
コンナUsage<1%

Etymology

Derived from the demonstrative こ (this) + な, part of the ko-so-a-do system of demonstratives. The exact historical derivation of the な element is uncertain.