Learning Japanese demonstratives (this, that, that over there) is one of the most useful steps for beginners. In this post, we’ll break it down simply.
Two groups of demonstratives
In Japanese, there are two main types of demonstratives:
A. Pronouns (can stand alone)
- kore (これ) = this (near the speaker)
- sore (それ) = that (near the listener)
- are (あれ) = that over there (far from both speaker and listener)
- dore (どれ) = which one (question form)
Usage examples:
- これはりんごです。
→ This is an apple. - それは本ですか？
→ Is that a book? - あれは山です。
→ That (over there) is a mountain. - どれがあなたの車ですか？
→ Which one is your car?
Important: These words can be used alone without a noun.
B. Adjectives (must be followed by a noun)
- kono (この) = this (noun)
- sono (その) = that (noun)
- ano (あの) = that (noun) over there
- dono (どの) = which (noun)
Usage examples:
- この本は面白いです。(Kono hon wa omoshiroi desu.)
→ This book is interesting. - その人は先生です。(Sono hito wa sensei desu)
→ That person is a teacher. - あの山は高いです。(Ano yama wa takai desu.)
→ That mountain (over there) is tall. - どの映画が好きですか？(Dono eiga ga suki desu ka?)
→ Which movie do you like?
Important: These words always need to be followed by a noun.
Ko-So-A-Do system
Let’s look at more details, these words are used all the time in daily conversation to refer to objects, locations, directions, and to ask questions. In this blog post, we’ll break it down, give you clear examples, and help you master this system.
The KSAD system is a set of demonstrative words that begin with:
- Ko- (こ): near the speaker (“this” / “here”)
- So- (そ): near the listener (“that” / “there”)
- A- (あ): far from both speaker and listener (“that over there” / “over there”)
- Do- (ど): question words (“which?” / “where?”)
They appear in four main forms depending on what you’re talking about:
| Type | Use | Example Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Object (thing) | Standalone object | “this”, “that” |
| Pre-nominal | Before a noun | “this book”, “that person” |
| Location | Place | “here”, “there” |
| Direction | Direction or polite reference | “this way”, “that way” |
Let’s see the example bellow :
| KSAD | Type | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ko- (こ) Near the speaker | Object | これは私のペンです。(Kore wa watashi no pen desu) | This is my pen. |
| Pre-nominal | この本は面白いです。(Kono hon wa omoshiroi desu) | This book is interesting. | |
| Location | ここは東京駅です。(Koko wa Tōkyō-eki desu) | Here is Tokyo Station. | |
| Direction | こちらへどうぞ。(Kochira e dōzo) | This way, please. | |
| So- (そ) Near the listener | Object | それはあなたのかばんですか？(Sore wa anata no kaban desu ka?) | Is that your bag? |
| Pre-nominal | その映画は有名です。(Sono eiga wa yūmei desu) | That movie is famous. | |
| Location | そこに座ってください。(Soko ni suwatte kudasai) | Please sit there. | |
| Direction | そちらはどなたですか？(Sochira wa donata desu ka?) | Who is there? | |
| A- (あ) Far from both speaker and listener | Object | あれは富士山です。(Are wa Fuji-san desu) | That over there is Mt. Fuji. |
| Pre-nominal | あの人は先生です。(Ano hito wa sensei desu) | That person over there is a teacher. | |
| Location | あそこにレストランがあります。(Asoko ni resutoran ga arimasu) | There is a restaurant over there. | |
| Direction | あちらへ行きましょう。(Achira e ikimashō) | Let’s go that way. | |
| Do- (ど) Question | Object | どれがあなたの車ですか？(Dore ga anata no kuruma desu ka?) | Which one is your car? |
| Pre-nominal | どの本が好きですか？(Dono hon ga suki desu ka?) | Which book do you like? | |
| Location | トイレはどこですか？(Toire wa doko desu ka?) | Where is the bathroom? | |
| Direction | お国はどちらですか？(Okuni wa dochira desu ka?) | Where are you from? |
Here’s a useful YouTube lesson that clearly explains the ko‑so‑a‑do system, covering both:
- kore / sore / are / dore (pronouns you can use on their own)
- kono / sono / ano / dono (used with a noun following)
