Demonstratives こそあど in Japanese

Overview

Japanese has an elegant and systematic way of pointing to things, places, and directions called the こそあど (ko-so-a-do) system. Unlike English, which only distinguishes "this" and "that," Japanese makes a three-way distinction based on distance from the speaker and listener, plus a fourth category for questions.

The system is built on four prefixes: こ- (ko-, near the speaker), そ- (so-, near the listener or just mentioned), あ- (a-, far from both), and ど- (do-, question/which). These prefixes combine with suffixes to create words for things, places, directions, and more. Once you learn the pattern, you can generate dozens of useful words.

At CEFR A1, demonstratives are among the most practical words you will learn. You need them for shopping ("I want this one"), asking for directions ("Where is that?"), and basic conversation ("What is that over there?"). The systematic nature of こそあど makes it one of the more satisfying grammar points to master.

How It Works

The こそあど Grid

	こ- (near me)	そ- (near you)	あ- (over there)	ど- (question)
Thing	これ (kore) this	それ (sore) that	あれ (are) that over there	どれ (dore) which
Thing + noun	この (kono) this...	その (sono) that...	あの (ano) that... over there	どの (dono) which...
Place	ここ (koko) here	そこ (soko) there	あそこ (asoko) over there	どこ (doko) where
Direction	こちら (kochira) this way	そちら (sochira) that way	あちら (achira) that way	どちら (dochira) which way
Kind	こんな (konna) this kind	そんな (sonna) that kind	あんな (anna) that kind	どんな (donna) what kind

こ- (Near the Speaker)

Used for things physically close to you or things you are about to introduce:

• これは私の本です。(kore wa watashi no hon desu) -- This is my book.
• この店はおいしいです。(kono mise wa oishii desu) -- This restaurant is good.

そ- (Near the Listener / Just Mentioned)

Used for things close to the listener, or something just mentioned in conversation:

• それは何ですか？(sore wa nan desu ka) -- What is that (near you)?
• その本を読みましたか？(sono hon o yomimashita ka) -- Did you read that book?

あ- (Far from Both)

Used for things far from both speaker and listener, or shared memories:

• あれは東京タワーです。(are wa Toukyou Tawaa desu) -- That over there is Tokyo Tower.
• あの映画は面白かったです。(ano eiga wa omoshirokatta desu) -- That movie (we both know) was interesting.

ど- (Question)

Used to ask which/where/what kind:

• どれがいいですか？(dore ga ii desu ka) -- Which one is good?
• どこに住んでいますか？(doko ni sunde imasu ka) -- Where do you live?

この/その/あの vs. これ/それ/あれ

Standalone (pronoun)	Before a noun (adjective)
これは本です。(This is a book.)	この本は面白いです。(This book is interesting.)
それをください。(Give me that.)	その本をください。(Give me that book.)

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
これは何ですか？	What is this? (kore wa nan desu ka)	こ: near speaker
その本をください。	Please give me that book. (sono hon)	そ: near listener
あの人は誰ですか？	Who is that person? (ano hito)	あ: far from both
どこに行きますか？	Where are you going? (doko ni)	ど: question
ここは静かですね。	It's quiet here. (koko wa)	こ: speaker's location
そこに座ってください。	Please sit there. (soko ni)	そ: near listener
あそこにコンビニがあります。	There's a convenience store over there. (asoko ni)	あ: far away
どれが一番好きですか？	Which do you like best? (dore ga)	ど: asking for choice
こちらへどうぞ。	This way, please. (kochira e)	こ: polite direction
どんな音楽が好きですか？	What kind of music do you like? (donna)	ど: asking about type

Common Mistakes

Using これ before a noun

• Wrong: これ本は面白いです。
• Right: この本は面白いです。
• Why: これ stands alone as a pronoun. Before a noun, use この. Similarly: それ→その, あれ→あの, どれ→どの.

Mixing up そ- and あ- for shared knowledge

• Wrong: そのレストラン、覚えている？ (for a place you both visited)
• Right: あのレストラン、覚えている？
• Why: For shared memories or common knowledge, use あ-. そ- refers to something near the listener or just mentioned, not shared experience.

Overusing どこ when どちら is more polite

• Wrong: お国はどこですか？ (in formal conversation)
• Right: お国はどちらですか？
• Why: どちら is a more polite alternative to どこ for asking about places. Use it in formal or polite situations.

Practice Tips

• Play a pointing game. With a partner or using objects around you, practice: これは[item]です, それは[item]です, あれは[item]です. Physically pointing helps connect the distance concept to the words.

• Use the grid as a cheat sheet. Print out or write the こそあど grid and keep it visible while studying. Whenever you need a demonstrative, check the grid. Within a week, you will have it memorized.

• Practice shopping scenarios. "This one please" (これをください), "How much is that?" (それはいくらですか？), "Which one?" (どれですか？) -- these are high-frequency real-world patterns.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: None listed -- this is a foundational A1 concept