こそあど I: “This” & “That”:これ・この, それ・その, & あれ・あの
Words such as “this” and “that,” which refer to things are known as “demonstratives” (指示詞) and, in English, these words can be used as pronouns or adjectives without changing form, but the singular-plural distinction is still made.
i. This is a beautiful house. (Nominal)
ii. That is a very tall tree. (Nominal)
iii. This song is amazing. (Adjectival)
iv. Those blades are sharp. (Adjectival & Plural)
These same words in Japanese go by the name こそあど because of how they all start with either one of these morae. Unlike English, they change form depending on distance of the referent and whether it is being used as a pronoun or an adjective. Plural forms do exist, but they do not contrast with their plain forms by marking plurality per se.
First, we will look at the basic pronoun forms of the words meaning “this” and “that,” then we will move onto their adjectival, and then lastly onto the special plural forms.
Curriculum Note: The ど-series of こそあど will be touched on once we learn about question words.
Nominal Forms of “This” & “That”:
これ, それ, & あれ
Japanese makes a distinction between “this” and “that” based on how close the referent is to the speaker and/or listener(s).
- When the object is by the speaker, これ is used.
- When the object is near the listener(s) but not the speaker, それ is used.
- When the object is neither near the speaker nor the listener(s), あれ is used.
To simplify this, these words are usually translated as follows:
| Nominal こそあど Forms | English Equivalents |
| これ | This/these |
| それ | That/those (near you) |
| あれ | That/those (over there) |
These basic nominal forms are typically used in either the singular or the plural sense as their plural forms, which we will learn about in the next lesson, mark plurality for another reason.
1. これは卵です。
This is an egg.
These are eggs.
2. これは何ですか。
What is this?
What are these?
3. これは万年筆です。
This is a fountain pen.
4. これは英和辞典です。
This is an English-Japanese dictionary.
5. それは何ですか。
What is that (which is nearest the listener, being “you”)?
6. それはワニです。
That is a crocodilian.
7. 「あれは何ですか」「鯉幟です」
“What is that?” “It’s a koinobori.”
Culture Note: A koinobori 鯉幟 is a giant paper carp flown atop poles for celebrating Children’s Day on May 5th for families who have male children.
8. それはオランウータンですよ。
That is an orangutan.
9. あれは古い携帯電話だ。
That over there is an old cellphone.
10. 確かにあれを食べたね。
(I/You/He/She/It) definitely ate that (distant thing/recollection), right?
Adjectival Forms of “This” & “That”:
この, その, & あの
When using こそあど in an adjectival sense, the final /re/ is dropped and the particle の is attached. The purpose of the こそあど used is to show the spatial relation of the noun it attaches to and the noun’s job is to be the referent.
11a. これを食べます。
11b. このピザを食べます。
11a. I will eat this.
11b. I will eat this pizza.
In 11a, the word これ must account for “this” as opposed to something further away from the speaker and indicate what exactly is being eaten. In 11b, この only marks that the object is near the speaker and the entity is clearly stated.
| Adjectival こそあど Forms | English Equivalents |
| この + Noun | This/these + Noun |
| その + Noun | That/those + Noun |
| あの + Noun | That/those + Noun (Over There) |
Thinking about how far something is just to say “that” can be very tricky from an English speaker’s perspective, but think of it like this: if you are by yourself or if the listener(s) is right next to you, or if the “that” is in front of your eyes but not too far away, you use それ・その. When the “that” is considerably far (out of reach), you use あれ・あの.
12. この机は古いです。
This desk is old.
These desks are old.
13. このヘビを殺しました。
I killed this snake.
14. そのアリはかわいいですね。
That ant is cute, isn’t it?
Those ants are cute, aren’t they?
15. その教科書は安かったですか。
Was that textbook cheap?
16. あの建物は議事堂です。
That building is The National Diet.
17. 私もあの猫が好きです。
I also like that cat over there.
こそあど with Non-Physical Objects or Objects NOT Present
It is not always the case that “this” and “that” refer to physical objects. The entities may be non-physical, or the physical objects in question may not be present.
- これ・この: A “this” in context is a physical or abstract entity that is directly affecting the speaker and may very well be affecting the listener(s) as well, but the focus is on “this” situation from the speaker’s perspective.
- それ・その: When the “that” in context, whether it be a physical or abstract entity, only either the speaker or the listener(s) are familiar with the situation. It is both close to someone’s mind but still far away in someone’s mind.
- あれ・あの: When the “that” in context, whether it be a physical or abstract entity, is so far away that neither can actually see it, use these. When the concept is very abstract, both the speaker and the listener(s) must be familiar with that situation. What distinguishes them from これ・この is that it is distant from both parties.
“These” or “those” entities may be people, places, times, things, etc. The biggest source of confusion as an English speaker will be differentiating between the two “thats” – それ・その and あれ・あの. If you are not sure whether the listener knows anything about it, that doubt alone is grounds for using それ・その. If the other person mentions it and you know about it, you use あれ・あの．
18. かつて、この辺りは静かなところでした。
This area was once a quiet place.
19. これは重要な手がかりです。
This is an important clue.
20. これは大変です！
This is serious!
21. この話は秘密ですよ。
This conversation is a secret.
22. そのつもりはない。
I don’t have that intention.
Grammar Note: その is used in Ex. 22 because although the speaker is denying a situation outlined by another person, the speaker’s denial implies that it is not in their mind at all, which would be a requirement for using あの.
23. その学生さんは誰ですか。
Who is that student?
Sentence Note: The student in question is unfamiliar to the speaker, but it is implied by the question that the listener might know the person. If the student is physically present, they would be within range of eye contact of both the speaker and listener.
24. あ、その話を聞きました。
Oh yeah, I heard about that.
Sentence Note: Even though both the speaker and listener know something about the conversation being referenced, it is implied that only the listener knows the full story.
25. えー。それ、本当ですか？
Eh? Is that true?
26. その日は曇りでした。
That day was cloudy.
Sentence Note: In this example, the speaker is informing the listener that the day in question was cloudy.
27. それは要りません。
I don’t need that.
That won’t be necessary.
Sentence Note: それ may be referring to an actual object or an abstract situation. For instance, the speaker may not be in need of a thing in the listener’s possession, or the speaker may be rejecting assistance in a certain matter that the listener has brought up.
28. あの猫ちゃんね、僕も大好きですよ。
Oh, that cat, I love it too.
Sentence Note: The cat in question may be physically in sight but would have to be out in the distance. With how this speaker is wording it, it sounds more likely that they are talking about a very familiar cat that is out of sight.
29. あのレストラン、美味しかったなあ。
Ah, that restaurant was delicious.
Particle Note: The particle なあ adds a heightened sense of appreciation as the speaker recollects.
Prenominal (Adjectival) Forms:
これの, それの, あれの
The particle の is capable of directly following the nominal forms of こそあど. In doing so, the entity is being described by the こそあど and NOT the following noun. “Prenominal” means that they come before a noun, and although they behave as an adjective in the sense that they are still modifying the noun that follows, they maintain their nominal meaning unlike the adjectival forms mentioned earlier.
30a. この味
30b. これの味
30a. This flavor
30b. The flavor of this
The use of these forms requires that the entity be at the forefront of conversation so that what the こそあど is referring to is understood. These forms get translated into English as “of this/that.”
| Prenominal こそあど Forms | English Equivalents |
| これの + X | The X of this/these |
| それの + X | The X of that/those |
| あれの + X | The X of that/those |
From these translations, it may appear that in any situation you would use “of this/that” in English, you should be able to use these prenominal こそあど forms, but in phrases like “as a result (of that)” where the “that” is not even necessary in English, the semantic weight of the noun “result” is too great for the prenominal form それの to be used. In other words, if you can paraphrase to “that/the X” in English – “the/that result was that…,” then you cannot use a prenominal form.
31. これの青はありますか。
Do you have this in blue?
32. それの使い方がわかりません。
I don’t know how to use that (thing).
33. その使い方がわかりません。
I don’t understand that way of using (it).
34. 彼女は、カップ麺の中に少し入ったあれの味を求めていた。
She was seeking the flavor of that which a little of is had inside cups of instant noodles.
35. それの何がいけないですか。
What is wrong with that?
Literally: What of that is wrong?
36a. その結果、多くの犠牲者が出たのです。〇
36b. それの結果、多くの犠牲者が出たのです。X
As a result (of that), there were a lot of casualties.
37. 友達がダイエットしていて、それの結果にイライラする。
My friend is dieting, and the results of that (dieting) are irritating.
Grammar Note: The use of それ indicates a higher degree of semantic weight on the こそあど itself. Since こそあど may refer to people as much as they do abstract entities, それ is collectively referring to the speaker’s friend and how she is dieting.
There is also notable overlap between these こそあど adjectival and prenominal forms when describing the area of space occupied by an entity already established in context.
38a. その右側だ。
38b. それの右側だ。
It’s the right side of it.
It’s to the right of that.
As the translations of 38a. and 38b. suggest, the slight difference in nuance does carry over. However, almost all situations aside from those where the physical entity is being specifically pointed out, the adjectival forms are overwhelmingly preferred. The same can also be said in general as the prenominal forms tend to be paraphrased to the more specific “adjectival form + noun (+ の).”
39. その隣のお店に行った。
I went to the store next to it.
40a. あれの中に落ちてしまった。(Emphatic)
40b. あの中に落ちてしまった。
40a. I fell inside of it.
40b. I fell in there.
Contractions of “This” & “That” こそあど + The Particle は
In casual speech, the particle は contracts with the nominal forms of こそあど for “this” and “that” in the following ways:
| Standard Speech | れは → りゃ | れは → ら |
| これは | こりゃ | こら |
| それは | そりゃ | そら |
| あれは | ありゃ | あら |
These casual forms are frequently used in colloquial speech. The contractions in the third column are notably trickier to grasp as far as tone is concerned, partially due to their being dialectal1.
41. 何だ、｛こりゃ・こら｝！
What the heck (is this/going on)!
42. そら、おもろい。
That’s interesting.
Dialect Note: In dialects of West Japan like Ōsaka Dialect (大阪弁), the adjective 面白い (interesting) is contracted to おもろい.
43. ありゃ、大変だったねぇ。
That was difficult, huh.
Particle Note: ねぇ adds a tone of relief.
44. あら、その音、聞こえた？ (Feminine)
Oh? Did you hear that sound?
Misnomer Note: The あら in Ex. 44 is not related to あれは; it is actually an interjection meaning “oh” that it is preferred by female speakers.
- In Standard Japanese, the contractions utilizing /ra/ often carry an angry tone, but this is not necessarily the case in regions which use them as part of everyday speech like in Kansai Dialects. ↩︎