Demonstratives (これ、それ、あれ)
Demonstratives are words that point to things, meaning "this," "that," "this one," "that one." Japanese has three main demonstratives based on distance: これ (this), それ (that), and あれ (that over there). They form part of the ko-so-a-do system.
これは本です
"This is a book" (near speaker)
それは何ですか
"What is that?" (near listener)
あれは学校です
"That over there is a school" (far from both)
Three-Way Distance System
これ (kore) - This
これは何ですか
"What is this?"
これください
"This one, please"
Near speaker
Within reach
Close proximity
それ (sore) - That
それは何ですか
"What is that?"
それをください
"That one, please"
Near listener
Medium distance
Close to you (listener)
あれ (are) - That over there
あれは何ですか
"What is that over there?"
あれを見て
"Look at that"
Far from both
Distant from speaker and listener
Over there
Distance Guidelines
これ - Near me
In my hand
On my desk
Right here
Within my reach
Close to speaker
それ - Near you
In your hand
On your desk
Near listener
You can reach it
Close to listener
あれ - Far away
Across the room
Outside
Not near either person
Pointing at distance
Away from both
Basic Usage
Asking "What is this/that?"
これは何ですか
"What is this?"
それは何ですか
"What is that?"
あれは何ですか
"What is that over there?"
Common question pattern
Identifying things
これは本です
"This is a book"
それはペンです
"That is a pen"
あれは富士山です
"That over there is Mt. Fuji"
Identification
As Pronouns
Standing alone
これ、それ、あれ are pronouns
Stand alone as subjects/objects
Don't modify nouns directly
これがいい
"This one is good"
それを買う
"Buy that one"
With particles
これは "this (topic)"
それが "that (subject)"
あれを "that over there (object)"
これの "of this"
Work with all particles
これ/それ/あれ vs この/その/あの
これ/それ/あれ = Pronouns (stand alone)
これは本です
"This is a book"
これを買う
"Buy this"
Stand-alone words
Act as nouns
この/その/あの = Modifiers (before nouns)
この本
"This book"
その人
"That person"
あの山
"That mountain over there"
Modify nouns
Come before nouns
Common Patterns
これは〜です (This is...)
これは私の本です
"This is my book"
これは高いです
"This is expensive"
Identification pattern
これをください (This one, please)
これをください
"This one, please"
それをください
"That one, please"
Shopping phrase
これでいい (This is fine)
これでいいです
"This is fine"
それでいい？
"Is that okay?"
Acceptance pattern
Pointing at Things
Physical objects
これ見て
"Look at this"
それ取って
"Pass me that"
あれ何？
"What's that over there?"
Physical reference
Abstract Reference
Referring to situations/ideas
それはいい考えだ
"That's a good idea"
これは難しい問題だ
"This is a difficult problem"
Not physical objects
Concepts, situations
この/その/あの件 (this/that matter)
その件について
"About that matter"
あの件は解決した
"That matter was resolved"
Referring to situations
それで (And so/So then)
Connector meaning
雨が降った。それで家にいた。
"It rained. So I stayed home."
それで？
"And then? / So?"
Transition word
Different from "that"
Time Reference
Temporal demonstratives
この前 "the other day/before"
その時 "at that time"
あの時 "at that time (past)"
Time periods
Not physical distance
Question Word
どれ (dore) - Which one
どれがいいですか
"Which one is good?"
どれを買う？
"Which will you buy?"
Question form
Asking for selection
Plural Forms
これら/それら/あれら (These/Those)
これらは私のです
"These are mine"
それらは高い
"Those are expensive"
Plural demonstratives
Formal/written
In Conversations
Natural dialogue
A: これは何？
"What's this?"
B: それは辞書だよ
"That's a dictionary"
Speaker's これ = listener's それ
Perspective shift
With いい (Good/Okay)
これでいい pattern
これでいい？
"Is this okay?"
それでいいです
"That's fine"
Acceptance/approval
Common phrase
Common Mistakes
Using これ/それ/あれ before nouns
Wrong: これ本 ⚠️
Correct: この本 ✓
"This book"
Wrong: それ人 ⚠️
Correct: その人 ✓
"That person"
Use この/その/あの before nouns
Confusing それ and あれ
それ: Near listener
"That (near you)"
あれ: Far from both
"That over there"
Distance matters
Shopping Context
Pointing at items
これをください
"This one, please" (near you/clerk)
あれを見せてください
"Please show me that one" (far away)
それはいくらですか
"How much is that?" (near clerk)
Common shopping phrases
Practice Sentences
Basic
これは何ですか
"What is this?"
それはペンです
"That is a pen"
あれは富士山です
"That over there is Mt. Fuji"
これをください
"This one, please"
どれがいいですか
"Which one is good?"
Intermediate
A: これは何ですか。
B: それは日本語の辞書です。
A: "What is this?"
B: "That's a Japanese dictionary."
これとそれ、どちらがいいですか。
"Which is better, this or that?"
あれを見てください。あれが
私の学校です。
"Please look at that. That over there is
my school."
この本とその本はどう違いますか。
これは簡単で、それは難しいです。
"How do this book and that book differ?
This one is easy, and that one is difficult."