「これ・それ・あれ」: whose side is it on?
Japanese points at things in three ways. Near the speaker: 「これ」. Near the listener: 「それ」. Far from both: 「あれ」. To ask “which one”, use 「どれ」. The four words begin with こ, そ, あ and ど, so together they are called “こそあど”.
| Word | Where the thing is | Rough meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これ | Right by me | this |
| それ | Right by you | that (by you) |
| あれ | Far from both of us | that (over there) |
| どれ | Not sure which | which |
これ／それ／あれ は noun です
これは辞書です。
This is a dictionary.
The dictionary is right by the speaker.
それはお茶ですか。
Is that tea?
The cup is by the listener.
あれは駅です。
That over there is the station.
The station is far from both people.
あれは何ですか。
What is that over there?
To ask “what is this?”, replace the noun with 「何」: 「これは何ですか」. Note that it is read 「なん」 here, not 「なに」.
The easiest mistake to make: when the speaker changes, the word for the same thing changes too. Pointing at something your friend is holding, you ask with 「それ」; when your friend answers, the thing is in their own hand, so they say 「これ」.
- 山田
田中さん、それは何ですか。
Tanaka, what’s that?
- 田中
これですか。せんべいです。どうぞ。
This? It’s a rice cracker. Have one.
- 山田
ありがとうございます。
Thank you.
Watch out
If you answer with the other person’s 「それ」, it means “that one by you”: the opposite of what you mean. Asked 「それは何ですか」, answer 「これは〜です」, or simply 「〜です」.
Compare
English “that” splits in two in Japanese: 「それ」 for things by the listener, 「あれ」 for things far from both of you.
「この・その・あの」 + noun
「これ・それ・あれ」 are nouns in their own right, so 「は」 can follow them directly. 「この・その・あの・どの」 cannot stand alone: a noun must always follow them, giving “this …”, “that …” and “which …”.
この／その／あの／どの noun
この電車は急行ですか。
Is this train an express?
あの人は山田さんです。
That person is Yamada.
その本は辞書ですか。
Is that book by you a dictionary?
田中さんはどの人ですか。
Which one is Tanaka?
When you can name the thing and need to tell it apart from others of its kind, use 「この」 plus the noun; when you can’t name it, or the name doesn’t matter, use 「これ」. With several trains at the platform, for example, 「この電車は…」 is clearer.
Watch out
「このは何ですか」 is wrong. Either say 「これは何ですか」, or add a noun after 「この」.
Tip
People can be 「あの人」 or 「この人」 too, but saying 「この人」 in front of the person is rude. To introduce someone, use 「こちら」, which comes later in this lesson.
「ここ・そこ・あそこ」: places
For places, use 「ここ」 (here), 「そこ」 (there, by you) and 「あそこ」 (over there); to ask “where”, use 「どこ」. Near and far work just as with 「これ・それ・あれ」. Note that it is 「あそこ」, not 「あこ」.
place or thing は ここ／そこ／あそこ です
トイレはどこですか。
Where is the toilet?
受付はあそこです。
Reception is over there.
ここは教室です。
This is the classroom.
出口はそこですか。
Is the exit there, by you?
- リー
すみません、出口はどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the exit?
- 駅員
出口ですか。あそこです。
The exit? It’s over there.
- リー
あそこですか。ありがとうございます。
Over there? Thank you.
Tip
When you stand togetherWhen two people stand side by side facing the same way (reading a map together, giving directions in a taxi), there is no “listener’s side” any more: use 「ここ」 for near, 「そこ」 for a little further off and 「あそこ」 for far away.
「こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら」: the polite set
The 「こちら」 set originally points to directions (this way, that way). It is vaguer than the 「ここ」 set, so it sounds more courteous. Shop, station and hotel staff use it with customers almost all the time, and when you ask someone the way, 「どちら」 is more polite too.
| Ordinary | Polite | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ここ | こちら | here, this way |
| そこ | そちら | there, that way (by you) |
| あそこ | あちら | over there, that way (far off) |
| どこ | どちら | where, which way |
| だれ | どなた | who |
お手洗いはどちらですか。
Which way is the restroom?
「お手洗い」 is a politer word for 「トイレ」.
エレベーターはあちらです。
The lift is that way.
こちらは鈴木さんです。
This is Suzuki.
To introduce someone, say 「こちら」, not 「この人」.
あの方はどなたですか。
Who is that person over there?
「方」 is the respectful word for 「人」.
The 「こちら」 set can refer to people as well: 「こちら」 is “this person”, and 「どちら」 can ask “which person”. Chatting with friends, people also say 「こっち・そっち・あっち・どっち」. They mean the same as the 「こちら」 set, only more casual; for now, just learn to recognise them.
Watch out
Asking someone 「あなたはだれですか」 to their face is very blunt, as if you were questioning a suspect. To find out who someone is, say 「失礼ですが、どちら様ですか」 (「様」 is more polite than 「さん」), or ask their name: 「お名前は？」.
Culture
In Japanese shops, stations and hotels, staff giving directions often say 「こちらです」 or 「あちらです」 and point the way with an open hand, not a single finger. Understanding 「こちら・あちら」 matters more than saying them yourself.
In a shop: what is it, and where is it?
Put this lesson’s words together and you can handle the two most common situations in a shop: pointing at something to ask what it’s called, and asking where a place is.
- アンナ
すみません、あれは何ですか。
Excuse me, what is that over there?
- 店員
あれですか。どら焼きです。
That? It’s dorayaki.
- アンナ
じゃ、これは何ですか。
And what is this?
- 店員
それはもなかです。
That’s monaka (a sweet with a filling inside).
- アンナ
そうですか。あのう、お手洗いはどちらですか。
I see. Um… which way is the restroom?
- 店員
あちらです。
That way.
Notice the points of view in the dialogue: for the sweets in the far display case, both people say 「あれ」; for the one by Anna, she says 「これ」 and the shop assistant says 「それ」.
Tip
「あのう」 and 「あれ？」「あのう」 is the hesitation sound before you speak, like “um…” or “er…”; 「あれ？」 is the “huh?” when you notice something is wrong. They are written like the pointing words 「あの」 and 「あれ」, but they point at nothing.