こうした

A pre-noun adjectival that refers back to something previously mentioned or described. It functions like "this kind of" or "such" and always modifies a following noun directly. Derived from こう (like this) + した (past form of する), literally "that has become like this."

Usage

• Always precedes a noun: こうした + noun
• Refers to something already mentioned or contextually obvious
• Common in news, essays, and formal speech
• Cannot be used as a predicate — only as a modifier

Common collocations

• こうした問題(もんだい): problems like this
• こうした状況(じょうきょう): a situation like this
• こうした背景(はいけい): against this kind of background
• こうした中(なか)で: amid such circumstances

Similar words

• このような: this kind of — more formal and explicit; interchangeable in most contexts
• こういった: this sort of — slightly more casual than こうした
• そうした: that kind of — refers to something more distant or previously described by someone else
• かかる: such — literary/legal; very formal equivalent