Demonstrative Pronouns: こ, そ, あ and ど
Demonstrative pronouns are indispensable in both Japanese and English. Mastering these pronouns in Japanese, referred to as "Ko So A Do," is crucial for beginners. They play a pivotal role in indicating places, directions, people, and various other contexts. Throughout your studies, you'll come across them frequently. But why "Ko So A Do"? It's a question worth delving into to understand their significance.
Pronoun Meaning こ Refers to something near the speaker そ Refers to something near the listener あ Refers to something far from both the speaker and the listener ど Interrogative
Kono | Sono | Ano | Dono
Japanese English この This (Near The Speaker) その That (Near The Listener) あの That (Far From Both) どの Which?
この いえ です。 - This house.
その いえ です。 - That house.
あの いえ です。 - That house over there.
どの いえ ですか。 - Which house?
Kore | Sore | Are | Dore
Japanese English これ This (Thing Near The Speaker) それ That (Thing Near The Listener) あれ That (Thing Far From Both) どれ Which (Thing)?
これ は くるま です。 - This is a car.
それ は くるま です。 - That is a car.
あれ は くるま です。 - That over there is a car.
どれ は くるま ですか。 - Which is the car?
Kochira | Sochira | Achira | Dochira
Japanese English こちら Here (This Direction) そちら There (That Direction) あちら Over there (That Direction) どちら Where? (Which Direction?)
Note: Kocchi, Socchi, Acchi and Docchi are informal versions.
こちら に きました。 - Came here.
そちら へ いきました。 - Went there.
あちら へ いきました。 - Went over there.
どちら へ いきましたか。 - Where did they go?
Koko | Soko | Asoko | Doko
Japanese English ここ Here (This Place) そこ There (That Place) あそこ Over there (That Place) どこ Where? (Which Place?)
ここ は びょういん です。 - Here is a hospital.
そこ は びょういん です。 - There is a hospital.
あそこ は びょういん です。 - Over there is a hospital.
びょういん は どこ ですか。 - Where is the hospital?
Konokata | Sonokata | Anokata | Donata
Japanese English このかた This person そのかた That person あのかた That person over there どなた Who? (Polite Form)
Note: In Japanese, it is always preferable to refer to others by their names in their presence. If you do not know their name, it is recommended to ask. Therefore, except for どなた (The polite form of だれ), it is not recommended to use these forms.
このかた の なまえ は マリア です。 - This person's name is Maria.
そのかた の おなまえ は なんですか。 - What is that person's name?
あのかた の なまえ は。 - That person's name is?
いしゃ は どなた ですか。 - Who is the doctor?
Koitsu | Soitsu | Aitsu | Doitsu
Japanese English こいつ This guy そいつ That guy あいつ That guy over there どいつ Who? (Informal | Pejorative)
Note: This is the pejorative form of Konokata, Sonokata, Anokata and Donata, generally used in informal contexts to refer to third parties.
Konna | Sonna | Anna | Donna
Japanese English こんな Like this そんな Like that あんな Like that over there どんな What kind?
Japanese English このような Such as this そのような Such as that あのような Such as that over there どのような How?
Note: The second form is the polite version of the first, with the same meaning.
こんな おいしい すし を まいにち たべた - い です。- I want to eat delicious sushi like this every day.
そんな たかい テレビ は かえません。 - I can't buy an expensive TV like that.
あんな うつくしい まち に すみたい です。 - I want to live in a beautiful city like that.
どんな しごと を しましたか。 - What kind of work did you do?
Kou | Sou | Aa | Dou
Japanese English こう Like this そう Like that ああ Like that over there どう How?
こう すれば できます。 - If you do it like this, you can do it.
そう すれば たぶん できます。 - If you do it like that, maybe you can do it.
ああ すれば できない でしょう。 - If you do it like that, you probably can't do it.
どう すれば いい ですか。 - How should I do it?
Konata | Sonata | Anata | Donata
Japanese English こなた This person or you そなた That person or you あなた That person or you どなた Who?
Note: This is the archaic form of Konokata, Sonokata, Anokata, all of which have the sense of the word “you.” However, the only one still widely used is Anata, meaning “you.” Though somewhat rare, Konata and Sonata can be found in certain literary contexts such as manga.
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Demonstrative pronouns are indispensable in both Japanese and English. Mastering these pronouns in Japanese, referred to as "Ko So A Do," is crucial for beginners. They play a pivotal role in indicating places, directions, people, and various other contexts. Throughout your studies, you'll come across them frequently. But why "Ko So A Do"? It's a question worth delving into to understand their significance.
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| こ | Refers to something near the speaker |
| そ | Refers to something near the listener |
| あ | Refers to something far from both the speaker and the listener |
| ど | Interrogative |
Kono | Sono | Ano | Dono
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| この | This (Near The Speaker) |
| その | That (Near The Listener) |
| あの | That (Far From Both) |
| どの | Which? |
この いえ です。 - This house.
その いえ です。 - That house.
あの いえ です。 - That house over there.
どの いえ ですか。 - Which house?
Kore | Sore | Are | Dore
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| これ | This (Thing Near The Speaker) |
| それ | That (Thing Near The Listener) |
| あれ | That (Thing Far From Both) |
| どれ | Which (Thing)? |
これ は くるま です。 - This is a car.
それ は くるま です。 - That is a car.
あれ は くるま です。 - That over there is a car.
どれ は くるま ですか。 - Which is the car?
Kochira | Sochira | Achira | Dochira
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| こちら | Here (This Direction) |
| そちら | There (That Direction) |
| あちら | Over there (That Direction) |
| どちら | Where? (Which Direction?) |
Note: Kocchi, Socchi, Acchi and Docchi are informal versions.
こちら に きました。 - Came here.
そちら へ いきました。 - Went there.
あちら へ いきました。 - Went over there.
どちら へ いきましたか。 - Where did they go?
Koko | Soko | Asoko | Doko
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| ここ | Here (This Place) |
| そこ | There (That Place) |
| あそこ | Over there (That Place) |
| どこ | Where? (Which Place?) |
ここ は びょういん です。 - Here is a hospital.
そこ は びょういん です。 - There is a hospital.
あそこ は びょういん です。 - Over there is a hospital.
びょういん は どこ ですか。 - Where is the hospital?
Konokata | Sonokata | Anokata | Donata
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| このかた | This person |
| そのかた | That person |
| あのかた | That person over there |
| どなた | Who? (Polite Form) |
Note: In Japanese, it is always preferable to refer to others by their names in their presence. If you do not know their name, it is recommended to ask. Therefore, except for どなた (The polite form of だれ), it is not recommended to use these forms.
このかた の なまえ は マリア です。 - This person's name is Maria.
そのかた の おなまえ は なんですか。 - What is that person's name?
あのかた の なまえ は。 - That person's name is?
いしゃ は どなた ですか。 - Who is the doctor?
Koitsu | Soitsu | Aitsu | Doitsu
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| こいつ | This guy |
| そいつ | That guy |
| あいつ | That guy over there |
| どいつ | Who? (Informal | Pejorative) |
Note: This is the pejorative form of Konokata, Sonokata, Anokata and Donata, generally used in informal contexts to refer to third parties.
Konna | Sonna | Anna | Donna
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| こんな | Like this |
| そんな | Like that |
| あんな | Like that over there |
| どんな | What kind? |
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| このような | Such as this |
| そのような | Such as that |
| あのような | Such as that over there |
| どのような | How? |
Note: The second form is the polite version of the first, with the same meaning.
こんな おいしい すし を まいにち たべた - い です。- I want to eat delicious sushi like this every day.
そんな たかい テレビ は かえません。 - I can't buy an expensive TV like that.
あんな うつくしい まち に すみたい です。 - I want to live in a beautiful city like that.
どんな しごと を しましたか。 - What kind of work did you do?
Kou | Sou | Aa | Dou
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| こう | Like this |
| そう | Like that |
| ああ | Like that over there |
| どう | How? |
こう すれば できます。 - If you do it like this, you can do it.
そう すれば たぶん できます。 - If you do it like that, maybe you can do it.
ああ すれば できない でしょう。 - If you do it like that, you probably can't do it.
どう すれば いい ですか。 - How should I do it?
Konata | Sonata | Anata | Donata
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| こなた | This person or you |
| そなた | That person or you |
| あなた | That person or you |
| どなた | Who? |
Note: This is the archaic form of Konokata, Sonokata, Anokata, all of which have the sense of the word “you.” However, the only one still widely used is Anata, meaning “you.” Though somewhat rare, Konata and Sonata can be found in certain literary contexts such as manga.