Meaning
Japanese uses four series of demonstrative words to point out objects, places, and directions based on their distance from the speaker and listener. The 'こ' series refers to things near the speaker, the 'そ' series refers to things near the listener, the 'あ' series refers to things far from both, and the 'ど' series is used for questions. Each series has different forms depending on whether you're pointing to an object (これ/それ/あれ/どれ), describing something (この/その/あの/どの), indicating a place (ここ/そこ/あそこ/どこ), or showing direction (こちら/そちら/あちら/どちら).
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 物体（近称） | これ |
| 物体（中称） | それ |
| 物体（远称） | あれ |
| 物体（不定称） | どれ |
| 物体／人（近称） | この |
| 物体／人（中称） | その |
| 物体／人（远称） | あの |
| 物体／人（不定称） | どの |
| 地点（近称） | ここ |
| 地点（中称） | そこ |
| 地点（远称） | あそこ |
| 地点（不定称） | どこ |
| 方向（近称） | こちら |
| 方向（中称） | そちら |
| 方向（远称） | あちら |
| 方向（不定称） | どちら |
Examples
Summary
- こ = near speaker; そ = near listener; あ = far from both; ど = question
- Different forms exist for objects, descriptors, locations, and directions
- これ, その, あそこ, どちら are common examples of each type