これ / それ / あれ / どれ — Demonstrative Pronouns
Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | JLPT N5 |
| Category | Demonstrative pronouns |
| Register | Neutral |
The こそあど System
Japanese demonstratives follow a four-way ko-so-a-do (こそあど) pattern based on the spatial relationship between the speaker, listener, and the object being referred to.
| Series | Pronoun (thing) | Adjective (this~) | Place | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| こ (near speaker) | これ | この | ここ | こちら |
| そ (near listener) | それ | その | そこ | そちら |
| あ (far from both) | あれ | あの | あそこ | あちら |
| ど (question) | どれ | どの | どこ | どちら |
Distance Rules
- こ series — near the speaker ("this" from my perspective)
- そ series — near the listener ("that" from your perspective), or something recently mentioned in conversation
- あ series — far from both the speaker and listener ("that over there")
- ど series — question form ("which", "where", "which direction")
Pronoun vs. Adjective
This is one of the most important distinctions at the N5 level.
- これ / それ / あれ / どれ are pronouns — they stand alone and replace a noun entirely.
- この / その / あの / どの are adjectives — they must directly precede and modify a noun.
| Correct | Incorrect | Note |
|---|---|---|
| これは本です。 | pronoun alone | |
| この本は面白い。 | adjective before noun |
Examples
-
これは何ですか。 What is this? (The object is near the speaker.)
-
それを見せてください。 Please show me that. (The object is near the listener.)
-
あれは富士山です。 That over there is Mt. Fuji. (Both speaker and listener are far from the mountain.)
-
どれがあなたのかばんですか。 Which one is your bag? (Asking the listener to identify from a set of options.)
-
この映画はとても面白い。 This movie is very interesting. (この modifies the noun 映画 directly.)
-
あのレストランは有名です。 That restaurant over there is famous. (あの modifies レストラン; both speaker and listener are distant from it.)
Common Mistakes
Using これ before a noun instead of この.
Incorrect:
これ本は高いです。Correct: この本は高いです。 (This book is expensive.)
これ, それ, and あれ are pronouns — they cannot directly precede a noun. To modify a noun you must switch to the adjective form この / その / あの.
Confusing そ and あ in conversation.
When something was just mentioned or is contextually known but not visible, Japanese uses the そ series, not the あ series. Reserve あ for objects that are physically visible and far from both parties.