According to this website (<http://www.jlptsensei.com/grammar-lesson/kotoka/>)
"ことか is used to place strong emphasis on something." This is the only
explanation I could find. I was wondering if that is a common expression and
in what context would you use it? Thank you.
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2016-07-22T05:22:51.167
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2019-10-09T09:26:17.083
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question
meaning
ことか to place strong emphasis on something?
>   1. なんということか！  
>  What the hell (is this) !
>   2. ずっと一緒だった仲間が別れなければならないのは、なんと残念なことか。  
>  Having to say farewell to friends that were always with you is so sad.  
>  ([Source](http://jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=kotoka))
>

>   3. コンピューターは、なんと便利なことか。  
>  Computer is such a convenient thing.  
>  ([Source](http://for2kyu.blogspot.com/2009/04/159.html))
>

As I know. ことか is a 2kyuu grammar. It is used to express your feeling
about....
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2016-07-22T06:36:05.393
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answer
The ことか is used in an exclamatory sentence (感嘆文) , usually preceded by an
interrogative word such as どんなに, どれほど, なんと, 何度 etc.

Examples:

>   * **どんなに** うれしい **ことか** ！ (≂ どんなにうれしいだろう！)  
>  How happy I would be!
>   * **なんと** 美しい **ことか** ！ (≂ なんと美しいのだろう！ / なんて美しいんだろう！)  
>  How beautiful it is!
>   * **何度** 失敗した **ことか** ！ (≂ 何度失敗しただろう！)  
>  (I have no idea) How many times I have failed!
>

(「～～ことか！」 sounds a bit more literary than 「～～だろう！」)
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2016-07-22T08:29:05.960
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2016-07-22T08:48:46.527
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answer