これ, それ, あれ: this, that, and there
Japanese has a neat system for pointing. Every word starts with one of four sounds. こ means near me, そ means near you, あ means far from both of us, and ど asks which one. Once you know this, you can point at almost anything in a classroom.
The four sounds
| Type | Near me (ko) | Near you (so) | Over there (a) | Which? (do) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Things Use these alone, without a noun after them. | ||||
| Words | これ (kore) | それ (sore) | あれ (are) | どれ (dore) |
| これは本です。 kore wa hon desu. This is a book. それはペンです。 sore wa pen desu. That is a pen. (near you) あれは駅です。 are wa eki desu. That over there is the station. これは何ですか。 kore wa nan desu ka. What is this? | ||||
| With a noun Put these before a noun, like "this book" or "that bag". | ||||
| Words | この (kono) | その (sono) | あの (ano) | どの (dono) |
| この本は私のです。 kono hon wa watashi no desu. This book is mine. その傘は誰のですか。 sono kasa wa dare no desu ka. Whose umbrella is that? (near you) あの人は先生です。 ano hito wa sensei desu. That person over there is a teacher. どの本ですか。 dono hon desu ka. Which book? | ||||
| Places Use these for a place. Here, there (near you), or over there. | ||||
| Words | ここ (koko) | そこ (soko) | あそこ (asoko) | どこ (doko) |
| ここは教室です。 koko wa kyoushitsu desu. This is the classroom. そこは駅です。 soko wa eki desu. That place is the station. (near you) あそこに学校があります。 asoko ni gakkou ga arimasu. There is a school over there. トイレはどこですか。 toire wa doko desu ka. Where is the toilet? | ||||
| Polite direction and people The polite form for places and people. Use it when you introduce someone, or when you point out a room at school. | ||||
| Words | こちら (kochira) | そちら (sochira) | あちら (achira) | どちら (dochira) |
| こちらは田中先生です。 kochira wa tanaka sensei desu. This is Teacher Tanaka. そちらはどなたですか。 sochira wa donata desu ka. Who is that? (near you, polite) 職員室はあちらです。 shokuinshitsu wa achira desu. The staff room is over there. どちらがあなたの車ですか。 dochira ga anata no kuruma desu ka. Which one is your car? | ||||
A simple rule for the classroom
Ask yourself: is it near me, near you, or far away? If you are holding it, use これ or この. If the student is holding it, use それ or その. If it is across the room, use あれ or あの. Do not worry about getting it perfect. Students will understand you anyway, and they will be happy that you tried.
それは私の鍵です。 sore wa watashi no kagi desu. That is my key. (It is near you.)