こそあど II: “These” & “Those”
これら, それら, あれら & こいつ（ら）, そいつ（ら）, あいつ（ら）
In this lesson, we will learn about the plural forms of the こそあど for “this” and “that” which translate to “these” and “those” respectively in English. In doing so, we will learn more about the suffix ～ら and about other related こそあど phrases.
The Suffix ～ら
Although Japanese does not require marking nouns for plurality, it still possesses means of making nouns plural. One such way is by using the suffix ～ら.
1. 僕は強い
I am strong!
2. 僕らは強い！
We are strong!
3. 彼らは仲がいい。
They get along.
4a. 犬たちはボディランゲージで感情を表します。〇
4b. 犬らはボディランゲージで感情を表します。X
Dogs express their emotions through body language.
The suffix ～ら does have several restrictions. For instance, it only follows pronouns and generic nouns relating to people. To be used generically, it needs to attach itself to the aforementioned こそあど.
5. これらのカキ1は北海道産です。
These oysters are from Hokkaido.
6. それらがすべて美しい。
All of that (of which) is beautiful
7. 鑑定人があれらを評価した。
The judge evaluated those.
8a. これらのカキはどれも美味しいはずだよ。△
8b. このカキはどれも美味しいはずだよ。〇
8c.このカキはどれらも美味しいはずだよ。X
Any of these oysters ought to be delicious.
Curriculum Note: どれ means “which,” but we will learn more about it once we learn about questions words.
9a. 「このリンゴを下さい。」「おいくつご入り用でしょうか。」◎
9b.「これらのリンゴを下さい。」「おいくつご入り用でしょうか。」△
“Please give me these apples.” “How many is it that you need?”
10a. このリンゴは青くて値段が高い。◎
10b. これらのリンゴは青くて値段が高い。〇・△
These apples are green and pricey.
Sentence Note: If the speaker is holding just one apple, then Ex. 10a could be understood as being singular. In general conversation, これ・この, それ・その, and あれ・あの suffice for both the singular and plural sense because they refer collectively to things.
Plural こそあど for Things
When talking about things, これ, それ, and あれ dominate regardless of whether there is one or more items being discussed. This is because in the Japanese mind, collective generalizations apply to everything that is present, and if differences are made important, those details are usually individually discussed in a greater context.
Even so, plurality can and does get marked on occasion. So, the first thing to do is look at the word forms that apply to things.
| Speech Register | こ-Series | そ-Series | あ-Series |
| Standard | これら | それら | あれら △ |
| Casual/Vulgar | こいつら | そいつら | あいつら |
Next, let’s see how each of these words are used to figure out why speakers use them on occasion.
これら & それら: Individuality
The ways in which これら and それら are used are parallel to one another. When either is used, the individuality of the constituents being referenced are highlighted as opposed to grouping them altogether.
11. 仕事やお金やコロナに対する不安とか多くてこれらの事で頭が一杯になっている。
Whether it be anxiety over my job, money, COVID, or what, I’ve been having a lot of worries, and these are all I’ve been thinking about.
12. 陽子さんは雌犬を飼いだした。その数も３匹で、【これら・これ】がやがて子犬を産んだ。
Yōko-san started to raise female dogs. There were three in total, and these (dogs) eventually gave birth to puppies.
13. 鎌倉時代に生まれたもう一方の仏教の流れは、法然・親鸞の教えとは対照的なものであった。それは「禅」である。念仏を唱えれば、阿弥陀仏によって救われるという思想に対し、「禅」は座禅などの修行によって自らを救済するという教えである。これもまた、古い仏教界からは弾圧されたが、禅の厳しい鎌倉武士に受け入れられて、全国に広まった。さらに鎌倉時代には、日本独自の神道理論が形成された。伊勢神道が生まれたのもこの頃である。これらを見ると、後の日本人の宗教観、死生観の多くが鎌倉時代に形成されたと考えることができる。
There was another school of Buddhism that was born in the Kamakura Period, which was contradictory to the teachings of Hōnen and Shinran, that being “Zen.” Contrasting with being saved by chanting Amitabha, the teaching of “Zen” allows saving oneself through discipline such as cross-legged meditation. This was also suppressed by the old Buddhist establishment, but it spread across the country by being accepted by Kamakura samurai who were strict on Zen. What’s more, it is in the Kamakura Period when Japan’s unique Shinto ideology formed and also the time period when Ise Shintoism was born. Upon viewing these things, one can conclude that most of the religious views and views on life and death that later Japanese people have were formed in the Kamakura Period.
From 『日本国紀』 by 百田尚樹.
14. 怪物の太い触手が四方から襲来するが、竜の放った火球がそれらを撃退する。
The monster’s thick tentacles charge from all directions, but the dragon’s fireballs repel each of them.
15. 他のアプリケーション画面を開いている場合、それらをすべて閉じて下さい。
In the case you have other application screens open, please close all of them.
16. アメリカ、フランス、ドイツ、これらの国々では大麻は違法ですか。
In America, France, Germany, and all these countries, is marijuana illegal?
16. トランプ大統領は、テロ対策強化の一環であることを強調していますが、なぜこれらの７か国が対象となったのか、具体的な根拠は示していません。
President Trump emphasizes that it is linked to strengthening measures against terrorism, but he hasn’t provided concrete evidence as to why these seven countries became targeted.
17. これらの緊急情報は、はじめに「ミサイル発射情報」が伝えられ、ミサイルが日本の領土・領海に落下する可能性があると判断された場合、「屋内避難の呼びかけ」という情報が流れることになっています。
As for these (means of) emergency information, at first “missile launch information” will be transmitted, and in the event that it’s concluded there exists the possibility a missile could come down on Japanese territory/waters, information calling for “indoor evacuation” will play.
18. 名前も過去も履歴も、それらすべてを手放した。
My name, my past, my background, I let go of all those things.
Phrase Note: これら and それら are frequently followed by すべて. In this situation, you cannot drop the /ra/.
19. 決まりに疑問があれば、それも改正提案を申請できる。
If you have any questions about the rules, you can submit them in a reform proposal.
Sentence Note: それ is used because there is no context that implies individuality to potential problems with the rule(s) in question.
20. 町も、海も、空も、山も、満月も、季節も、電車も、公園も、遊園地も、動物も、スーパーマーケットも、おもちゃ屋も、私はこの子からそれらをすべて奪ってきたんだ。
Towns, the sea, the sky, mountains, the full moon, the seasons, trains, parks, amusement parks, animals, supermarkets, toy stores, I’ve stolen all those things from this child.
21. 将来のこととか不安が多いよ。これらのことで頭が一杯で、恋愛について考える余裕は無い。
I have a lot of anxiety about the future and all. My mind has been full of these things, and I don’t have time to think about love.
22. この机に沢山の鉛筆があるが、これらの中から一つだけ持っていっていい。
There are many pencils in this desk, but you may take only one out of these with you.
Sentence Note: This first この can’t be interpreted in the plural sense in context. Although これらの中 could be rewritten by using この instead, the individuality of the pencils the listener could choose from would not be emphasized.
23. これらの５人のうち、サッカー世界選手権で一位となった人は誰でしょう。
Of these five individuals, who will become number one in the soccer championship?
24. トランクが五つあって、それらはさらに大きなカバンに詰められて一つになった。
There were five trunks, and these trunks become one by being crammed into a much larger briefcase.
これら and それら are most naturally used when the referents are specifically mentioned in context, and even if they are not, they are still visually obvious. Overall, you will see それら more frequently as it is more common for people to talk about abstract concepts or things only experienced by one side of a discussion.
The Use of あれら
Although it is not fair to say that あれら is always unnatural, it is indicative of translated Japanese from other languages, notably English, in which capturing the meaning of “those (over there)” may be more pertinent.
Unlike これら and それら, あれら doesn’t particularly point out the individuality of its referents. This is possibly due to it being far more unlikely that two people (or more) – the speaker and the listener(s) – are specifically aware of more than one interrelated thing, and the recognition of that shared understanding may be even harder to come by. If there is such common ground, あれ already suffices.
Nonetheless, examples of あれら can still be found if mutual recognition between the speaker and listener(s) can be met. Also, because あれら is used in translated works, that does mean that a native speaker had to think it was appropriate to use it. In one’s own storytelling, though, it is much easier to have everyone on the same page because everyone’s thoughts are controlled by the writer.
25. 中華やタイ料理をはじめとするエスニック料理のことですね。【 あれらの・あの】料理で喉が渇くのは、化学調味料が過剰に使われているせいです。
You’re talking about ethnic foods including Chinese and Thai cuisine, right? Why those cuisines make your throat dry is because of how chemical flavorings are used excessively.
26a. あれらも果物ではない。△
26b. あれも果物ではない。◎
Those aren’t fruits either.
27. ｛あちら ◎・あれら △｝の山は高いですね。
The mountain(s) over there are tall.
Sentence Note: As あれら does not really exist outside translated works, あちら would be far more natural in Ex. 27.
Crude Forms of これ, それ, あれ & Their Plural Forms:
こいつ,（ら）, そいつ（ら）, & あいつ（ら）
In earlier forms of Japanese, これ, それ, and あれ could be used as personal pronouns just as often as they referred to physical things. Their use in this way is not so common anymore, but the ability to refer to people lives on in their casual forms as seen in the chart below.
| Singular (単数形) | Plural (複数形) |
| こいつ (this thing/this guy) | こいつら (these guys) |
| そいつ (that thing/that guy) | そいつら (those guys) |
| あいつ (that thing/that guy) | あいつら (those guys) |
These crude/vulgar forms come from the word 奴, which in its literal meaning refers to people in a crude manner but can also casually refer to both physical and abstract things, contracting with こそあど to refer to either people or things, but they are still very casual in nature, and if used angrily, your tone is certainly matched by using them.
28. こいつはまずい。
This ain’t good.
29. なんてことはないんだ、あいつらはバカだから。
It’s nothing ‘cause they’re a bunch of idiots.
30. あいつを取ってくれ。
Take that one.
31. そいつが悪いんだろう？
Isn’t that guy the one at fault?
32. そいつはありがたい。
I appreciate that.
33. こいつらはお前たちの敵う相手じゃない！
You guys are no matches for the likes of them!
- カキ may be spelled in Kanji as 牡蠣. In real life, plant/animal names may be seen in Katakana, Hiragana, or their Kanji spellings completely interchangeably in market places. ↩︎