TAKOBOTO

should
you should read it

Add formation 

あなたはこれをよむことだ

You should read this.

じゆうとはひとにめいわくをかけないことだといったじぇいえすミル

J.S. Mill, who said. "Freedom is not to be used to trouble other people."

だいがくにはいりたければいっしょうけんめいべんきょうすることだ

if you want to go to college, you should study as hard as you can.

かぜぎみなら、はやくねることだ

if you feel like you have a cold, you better go to bed early

じょうずになるために、くりかえしてれんしゅうをすることだ。

In order to do it well, you should practice over and over again.

いちにんでなやんでいないで、かぞくとともだちにそうだんしてみることですよ。なにかいいアドバイスがもらえるでしょう。

You should try discussing this with your family and friends, and not suffer alone. You can probably get a lot of good advice.

おかねをためたいのでしょう。それなら、むだづかいをしないことです。

You want to save money, right? If that's the case, you shouldn't waste it.

あたたかくして、ゆっくりやすむことだ。

You should keep warm, relax and rest.

むりをしないことです。

Don't push yourself too hard.

はつげんするまえに、このもんだいのようてんはりかいすることだ。

Before you speak, this is the point of issue should be understand.

はつげんするまえに、このもんだいのようてんはりかいすることだ。

Before you speak, this is the point of issue should be understand.

Ｖ(plain form) + ことだ (should)
Ｖない(form) + ことだ (should not)

rubyhatchet

often used to emphasize some important thing

dc

seems pretty identical to 〜べき
読むべき = 読むことだ = you should read

dc

I think my translation is a little rough here ^^; Incidently this is much the same as "An it harm none, do as ye will shalt be the whole of the law."

Amatuka

Formed from verb + koto
Negative sense etc possible.
V = verb.

Amatuka

is #5489 correct? xephyer, did you make up the japanese example?

dc

thanks for the correction miki. changed.

dc

#5489 is weird. No one would say that. あなたはこれを読むべきだ would be okay,

bamboo4

#5489 when you are scolded, you might be told in this way. あなたはこれをよむことだ。（そうすれば全てがわかる。。とかかんとか）Don't you think so?

Miki

べき seemingly implies somewhat more of 'should'ness, while 〜ことだ is literally like 'this is about 〜(gerund)', and really is the emphasis on something being required. In a way, ことだ is even more imperative.

Kaens

It is not necessarily a stern usage(e.g.scolding), it can be an advice or recommendation with the meaning "should".
〜ことだ ： 〜ことを勧める 、〜ことが必要だ

誠

For 〜ものだ, it is used when the thing is of common sense, and usually is used to advice or remind people of morality,principle of life,etc.

〜ものだ： 〜が一般的な常識だ （人に対して注意する時によく使われる）

誠