Tom and Bob are walking on the street in Tokyo. Tom sees a car nearby and a shop far away. They start talking about things around them.
Demonstrative Nouns in Japanese: Near and Far
When speaking Japanese, it is very important to know how to point to things that are near, far, or not near either speaker. These are called demonstrative nouns.
In English, we use words like:
- this
- that
- these
- those
Japanese has a similar system, but it is more organized and very useful in daily conversation.
In this lesson, you will learn:
- Essential demonstrative words
- A real-life street conversation
- How to use demonstrative nouns correctly
Essential Word List
Japanese | Transliteration | English |
これ | kore | this (near me) |
それ | sore | that (near you) |
あれ | are | that over there |
この | kono | this ~ |
その | sono | that ~ |
あの | ano | that over there ~ |
ここ | koko | here |
そこ | soko | there |
あそこ | asoko | over there |
どれ | dore | which |
どこ | doko | where |
本 | hon | book |
車 | kuruma | car |
店 | mise | shop |
友達 | tomodachi | friend |
Conversation: Tom and Bob on the Street
Setting:
Tom and Bob are walking on the street in Tokyo. Tom sees a car nearby and a shop far away. They start talking about things around them.
This is Tom’s car. |
これはトムの車です。 |
Kore wa Tomu no kuruma desu. |
That car is new, isn’t it? |
その車は新しいですね。 |
Sono kuruma wa atarashii desu ne. |
That over there is Bob’s friend. |
あれはボブの友達です。 |
Are wa Bobu no tomodachi desu. |
That shop over there is famous |
あの店は有名です。 |
Ano mise wa yuumei desu. |
ここは静かですね。 |
Koko wa shizuka desu ne. |
It is quiet here, isn’t it? |
Where are we going? |
どこへ行きますか。 |
Doko e ikimasu ka? |
Let’s go over there. |
あそこへ行きましょう。 |
Asoko e ikimashou. |
How to Use Demonstrative Nouns in Japanese
Japanese demonstrative words follow a simple pattern.
Type | Near Speaker | Near Listener | Far from Both |
Thing | これ (kore) | それ (sore) | あれ (are) |
Place | ここ (koko) | そこ (soko) | あそこ (asoko) |
Before a noun | この (kono) | その (sono) | あの (ano) |
- これ・それ・あれ (Standalone Nouns)
These words can stand alone.
Examples
Japanese | Transliteration | English |
これは本です。 | Kore wa hon desu. | This is a book. |
それは私のです。 | Sore wa watashi no desu. | That is mine. |
あれは学校です。 | Are wa gakkou desu. | That over there is a school. |
- この・その・あの (Must Be Followed by a Noun)
These words must come before a noun.
Structure
この + noun
その + noun
あの + noun
Examples
Japanese | Transliteration | English |
この本 | Kono hon | This book |
その車 | Sono kuruma | That car |
あの人 | Ano hito | That person over there |
Easy Way to Remember
こ-series (near me)
- これ
- この
- ここ
Think: “close to me.”
そ-series (near you)
- それ
- その
- そこ
Think: “close to you.”
あ-series (far away)
- あれ
- あの
- あそこ
Think: “over there.”
Practice Sentences
Japanese | Transliteration | English |
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. |
あの車は高いです。 | Ano kuruma wa takai desu. | That car over there is expensive. |
ここは駅です。 | Koko wa eki desu. | Here is the station. |
Mini Exercise
Translate into Japanese.
- This is my friend.
→ これは私の友達です。
(Kore wa watashi no tomodachi desu.) - That shop is big.
→ その店は大きいです。
(Sono mise wa ookii desu.) - Let’s go over there.
→ あそこへ行きましょう。
(Asoko e ikimashou.)
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Learn Japanese for Beginners is a Step-by-step lesson designed for everyday communication, speak in your first lesson without learning the Japanese Alphabets. Engaging and real dialogues.
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