Today, we will see the demonstrative prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど which are prefixes that we are going to combine with different endings in order to demonstrate things, in order to designate, to indicate different things in four positions.
It’s something very Japanese, something inherent in the Japanese language that we don’t have at all in English. However, have no fear, it is very easy. I’ll explain everything to you.
Let’s imagine the following situation : a discussion between two characters. We have a speaker, the one who speaks, and an interlocutor, the one to whom the speaker is speaking, therefore the one who listens. And we will always be in a situation with a speaker and an interlocutor.
The prefix こ designates something or someone related to the speaker, something or someone close to the speaker or who belongs to the speaker.
The prefix そ designates something or someone related to the interlocutor, something or someone close to the interlocutor or who belongs to the interlocutor.
The prefix あ designates something or someone outside the speaker and the interlocutor, something or someone far from both, or not belonging to either.
And finally, the prefix ど corresponds to something or someone unknown. So, this is a prefix used to ask a question.
Remember this pattern in your memory with the four positions こ・そ・あ・ど to indicate the position of someone or something depending on the position of the speaker and the interlocutor.
We will now combine these four prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど with different combinations, ten in total, in order to demonstrate, indicate concrete or abstract things by creating nouns that we will be able to use as nouns in our sentences. Take a look below.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the prefix こ, I can designate a place. Below are the four names used to designate a place.
ここ (this is the prefix こ to which I add the ending こ and which designates a place corresponding to the position こ where the speaker is.)
そこ (this is the prefix そ to which I add the ending こ and which designates a place corresponding to the position そ where the interlocutor is.)
あそこ (this is the prefix あ to which I add the ending そこ and which designates a place far from both, a place far away. You will have noticed that the prefix あ becomes あそ. It’s あそこ and not あこ. This little peculiarity will not be found later, so learn it by heart.)
In English, you also have words for these three nouns. We can say :
ここ → Here
そこ → There
あそこ → Over there
However, understand that in English, these three terms, « here », « there » and « over there », do not denote a fixed positioning, unlike what is done in Japanese. We could very well use the word « there » to designate the speaker’s position, for example. You can use these translations as benchmarks, but they are not necessarily systematic.
Finally, we have the last name where we combine the prefix ど and the prefix こ, which gives us :
どこ → Where ? (to ask a question about a place)
And there we find our interrogative noun that we had already seen in the previous course entitled « Ask a question in Japanese ». Now you understand where the noun comes from. So, with this prefix ど, we can create lots of interrogative nouns that we can use exactly the same as those we have seen in the previous course.
Also be aware that all of these nouns are written entirely in kana. They once existed kanji to write these nouns but they are no longer used today so we now write them in kana.
Before moving on, I quickly give you an example sentence :
ジャックはあそこにいる。
Jack is over there.
Quite simply. Let’s suppose I am the speaker, using あそこ, I tell my interlocutor that Jack is in a place which is far from me and my interlocutor.
Another example :
星野とカサンドラはそこにいる。
Hoshino and Cassandra are there.
Quite simply. Same situation, using そこ, I tell my interlocutor that Hoshino and Cassandra are in a place which is close to him (close to my interlocutor, understand well !)
Good ! We have three ways of defining a place : on the position of the speaker, on the position of the interlocutor, or away from both.
Then, by adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending れ, I can designate something concrete or abstract.
これ → This (designates something close to the speaker or belonging to him or her.)
それ → That (designates something close to the interlocutor or which belongs to him or her.)
あれ → That over there (designates something distant from both or that does not belong to either, an object in the distance.)
どれ → Which one? Which ? (to ask a question about something.)
For the latter, I remind you that there is no gender or number in Japanese and that the plural is very often suggested. So, everything will depend on the context of what we designate.
Once again, the terms I am giving you in English are not systematic translations. We could very well just use the word « that », regardless of its position in relation to the speaker and the interlocutor.
Before moving on, I will quickly give you an example sentence :
これは電動キックボードだ。
This is an electric scooter.
Quite simply. With the noun これ, I designate exactly one electric scooter in particular. The noun これ suggests that the electric scooter is close to the speaker or owned by him.
Another example :
これはフルーツバスケットだ。
This is a fruit basket.
In this sentence, with the noun それ, I designate exactly a fruit basket in particular. The noun それ suggests that the fruit basket is close to the interlocutor or owned by him.
Since we’ve come this far, well I’m going to teach you how to say « until here », « until there », « until over there ». It’s very simple and maybe you already guessed :
これまで → Until here
それまで → Until there
あれまで → Until over there
For your general knowledge, know that in Japanese, in judo matches, the term それまで indicates the end of a fight and pronounced by the referee to the judokas.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the suffix の + Noun, we will be able to designate a named thing. Before, we didn’t name the thing, now we’ll be able to name it. I will take as an example the word ケーキ from the English « cake ».
このケーキ → This cake here (designates a cake that is close to the speaker or that belongs to him or her.)
そのケーキ → This cake there (designates a cake that is close to the interlocutor or that belongs to him or her.)
あのケーキ → This cake over there (designates a cake that is either far from the two or belongs neither to one nor to the other.)
どのケーキ → What cake ? (to ask a question about an unknown cake.)
Once again, in English, we can simply say « this cake » without needing to specify its exact position.
I guess you get it right now but just to be sure when I say このケーキ, you do understand that it is about the cake (ケーキ) that belongs (particle の) to the speaker’s position (こ). And the same goes for others.
As usual, I give you an example :
このケーキはイチゴのタルトだ。
This cake is a strawberry pie.
So, you have understood the difference between the ending れ and the suffix の + Noun. In the first, we designate a thing without naming it. In the second, we designate a thing by naming it with the particle の.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending ちら we will be able to designate a direction.
こちら → This direction (indicates the direction in which the speaker is oriented.)
そちら → That direction (indicates the direction in which the interlocutor is oriented.)
あちら → That direction over there (designates a direction that is neither the direction the speaker is facing nor the direction the speaker is facing.)
どちら → Which way ? Which direction ? (to ask a question about a direction.)
I now give you an example :
私はあちらへ行く。
I’m going in that direction over there.
Of course, you will have noticed that I am using the particle へ which, I remind you, indicates a direction.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending っち, we can designate a direction in a familiar register. It’s exactly the same as what we just saw but in a more familiar language register.
こっち → This direction (indicates the direction in which the speaker is oriented.)
そっち → That direction (indicates the direction in which the interlocutor is oriented.)
あっち → That direction over there (designates a direction that is neither the direction the speaker is facing nor the direction the speaker is facing.)
どっち → Which way ? (to ask a question about a direction.)
I now give you an example :
私はあっちへ行く。
I’m going in that direction over there.
Translating the very familiar register into English is quite difficult. I hope at least you understand by now how all those demo prefixes that we’ve seen so far work.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending なた, we can designate a person… However, be aware that the first two on the list, こなた and そなた have become obsolete. They are not used at all today so you don’t have to memorize them. Only remain あなた and どなた.
こなた → Obsolete
そなた → Obsolete
あなた → You (this is the second person singular and can also be translated as « you » for more politeness.)
どなた → Who ? (to ask a question about a person. This is a more polite version of 誰 . だれ)
For example, if you need to ask his identity to someone but it is better to be very polite, you ask the question :
あなたはどなたですか。
Who are you ?
If you remember your lesson on the particle か, you’ll have noticed here that we have the polite form of the verb だ, that is, です, and that the particle か in this sentence does not replace です. Indeed, in the polite form, we never use the verb だ. Both written and oral, the です must be present to clearly show that you are showing respect to your interlocutor.
You’ll soon have a course on Japanese pronouns when we return to こなた, そなた and the other nouns above but for now, although memorize what you just learnt.
Now, I think you have understood everything about the position in relation to the speaker and the interlocutor.
Let’s continue.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending いつ, we can designate a person in a familiar, almost contemptuous way. Mainly used by men in Japan. Be careful, it’s not appropriate in all situations !
こいつ → This guy
そいつ → That guy
あいつ → That guy over there
どいつ → What type ? (to ask a question about a type (familiar register, vulgar limit).)
I now give you an example :
あいつは馬鹿だ。
That guy over there is an idiot.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending んな, we can designate a kind of named thing.
こんな自転車 → This kind of bike
そんな自転車 → That kind of bike
あんな自転車 → That kind of bike over there
どんな自転車 → What kind of bike ?
As usual, I’ll give you an example :
マウンテンバイクはこんな自転車だ。
All-terrain bikes are that kind of bike.
So far all of the words we created with the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど were nouns, and now we’re going to create adverbs.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど the ending んな + the particle に, we can designate a kind of named thing.
こんなに → At this point
そんなに → At this point
あんなに → At this point
どんなに → At what point ? / How much ?
So here we are with new adverbs. These are adverbs of degree and I will give you an example below that we have already seen when we did the lesson on adverbs.
久代と英太はゆっくり歩く。
ひさよとえいたはゆっくりあるく。
Hisayo and Eita walk slowly.
We are going to use the adverb こんなに with the adverb ゆっくり to be able to say how much Hisayo and Eita walk slowly.
久代と英太はこんなにゆっくり歩く。
ひさよとえいたはこんなにゆっくりあるく。
Hisayo and Eita walk slowly at this point / that much.
We can also use them as adverbs of quantity. This time, I show you a new example.
ビルスタンは祭壇の前で祈る。
ビルスタンはさいだんのまえでいのる。
Birstan prays in front of the altar.
Here we can say :
ビルスタンは祭壇の前でこんなに祈る。
ビルスタンはさいだんのまえでこんなにいのる。
Birstan prays at this point in front of the altar.
In this sentence, we indicate the intensity with which Birstan prays in front of the altar.
I now give you another new example with an adverb you know well :
美子と琴子はチェリーやケーキやアップルパイを沢山食べる。
みことことこはチェリーやケーキやアップルパイをたくさんたべる。
Miko and Kotoko eat a lot of cherries, cakes and apple pies…
Here we can say :
美子と琴子はチェリーやケーキやアップルパイをこんなに食べる。
みことことこはチェリーやケーキやアップルパイをこんなにたべる。
Miko and Kotoko eat cherries, cakes and apple pies… at this point.
In this sentence, we indicate the amount of food Miko and Kotoko eat. Note that the adverb こんなに being an adverb of degree, it replaces the adverb of quantity 沢山 . タクサン.
By adding to the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど a lengthening, we can define a way :
こう → In this way
そう → In this way
ああ → In this way
どう → In what way ?
So here we are with adverbs of manner which serve to make explicit the designated manner. I give you a new example below with the adverb of manner どう.
マシューは山をどう登るの？
How does Matthew climb the mountain ?
Of course, we could quite possibly turn this sentence in the affirmative form by using the adverb こう.
マシューは山をこう登るの。
Matthew climbs the mountain this way.
We have other uses of these four words. In particular, we can use them in description with だ. For example :
そうだ。
Literally it means « this is the way to », « this is the way you presented ». In Japanese, it is with this little sentence that we are going to say :
そうだ。
It’s certain ! it’s clear ! for sure ! that’s it.
This little expression can also be used to express acquiescence, confirmation of what has just been said. We can also translate it as « you are right ».
Then we have the expression :
そうか。
So, this is it. I see, I understand.
Once again by referring to what our interlocutor is telling us, presenting to us.
We find these adverbs of manner in polite phrases like :
具合はどう?
How are you ?
具合 .グあい means « the health ». Literally, « regarding health, how is it ? ».
We can also use the adverb of manner どう to make a proposition :
お茶はどう?
Do you want some tea ?
Literally, « regarding tea, how is it ? ».
And, in this precise use with the verb to be of description, どう has a more polite use which is いかが. I take my two previous examples and see what it looks like :
具合はいかがですか。
How are you ?
お茶はいかが?
Do you want some tea ?
You may note the presence of です, a polite form of the verb to be descriptive だ and the final particle か to indicate that this is indeed an interrogation.
To the first question :
具合はいかがですか。
How are you ?
We will answer :
元気です。
I’m fine.
And to the second question :
お茶はいかがですか。
Do you want some tea ?
We will answer :
はい、お願いします。
Yes, please.
Now that this has all been covered, I will give you some usage details on all of these new words.
1st Precision
First of all, be aware that there are synonymous formulations, especially for nouns designating a named kind of thing. I put below the names that we have already seen above, plus their synonymous formulations :
こんな自転車 → This kind of bike here
そんな自転車 → That kind of bike there
あんな自転車 → That kind of bike over there
どんな自転車 → What kind of bike ?
Now the synonymous formulations :
このような自転車 → This kind of bike here
そのような自転車 → That kind of bike there
あのような自転車 → That kind of bike over there
どのような自転車 → What kind of bike ?
こういう自転車 → This kind of bike here
そういう自転車 → That kind of bike there
ああいう自転車 → That kind of bike over there
どういう自転車 → What kind of bike ?
There are also synonymous formulations for adverbs of degree. Same thing. I put below the nouns that we have already seen above, plus their synonymous formulations :
こんなに → In this way
そんなに → In this way
あんなに → In this way
どんなに → In what way ?
Now the synonymous formulations :
このように → In this way
そのように → In this way
あのように → In this way
どのように → In what way ?
Well. Now, if you happen to run into them, know that it has the same meaning.
2nd Precision
Then the ending ちら, used for nouns indicating a direction, can be used to create a polite form of the names indicating a place, indicating a thing and indicating a person.
As a reminder, I put below the nouns indicating a direction :
こちら → This direction
そちら → This direction
あちら → This direction
どちら → Which way ? Which direction ?
If we want to put the nouns indicating a place in the polite form, we’ll write :
こちら → Here
そちら → There
あちら → Over there
どちら → Where ?
And if we want to put the nouns indicating something in the polite form, we’ll write :
こちら → This
そちら → That
あちら → That over there
どちら → Which one ? Which ?
Finally, if we want to put the nouns designating a person in the polite form, we’ll write :
こちら → This person here
そちら → That person there
あちら → That person over there
どちら → Who ?
You will notice that in the end, we end up with homophones, which doesn’t make it easy for us, but it’s like that. Try to remember them, and when you read a manga, a light novel or a magazine, or when you are chatting with a Japanese, pay close attention to the context if you come across these words because only with the context of the sentence can you understand what the other person means.
Also note that we have a new way to ask the question « who ? » in Japanese. To recap, we have :
誰 . だれ
どなた
どちら
We can even say どちら様 . どちらさま. I am not explaining to you for the moment what it means 様 . さま, maybe most of you already know this, we will find it a little later in another course.
3rd Precision
Then, in general in a choice, when we ask our interlocutor to choose 1 element among 2, we’ll use どちら and its familiar form どっち.
I give you an example below :
あなたはソーダとフルーツジュースのどっちを飲むか。
What do you drink between soda and juice ? / Which one do you drink, soda or juice ?
So, in this sentence, we have a choice between only two elements so we use どちら or its familiar form どっち.
Another example :
あなたは豆乳と牛乳のどっちを飲むか。
What do you between soy milk and cow’s milk ? / Which one do you drink, soy milk and cow’s milk ?
Once again, in this sentence we do have a choice between only two elements so we use どちら or its familiar form どっち.
Now when we ask our interlocutor to choose 1 element among 3 or more, we will use どれ.
I give you an example below :
あなたは林檎と葡萄と梨と桃とバナナのどれを食べる？
What do you eat between apples, grapes, pears, peaches and bananas ? / What do you eat, apples, grapes, pears, peaches and bananas ?
In this sentence, we do have a choice of three or more elements so we use どれ. You will also have seen that we enumerate a list of elements with the particle と.
We could also have replaced どれ by どの果物 to make it clear that we are talking about fruits. Taking the example below, this gives us :
あなたは林檎と葡萄と梨と桃とバナナのどの果物を食べる？
What fruits do you eat between apples, grapes, pears, peaches and bananas ? / What fruits do you eat : apples, grapes, pears, peaches and bananas ?
Or more simply, we can use the interrogative nouns 何 .なに. Taking the example below, this gives us :
あなたは林檎と葡萄と梨と桃とバナナの何を食べる？
What doyou eat between apples, grapes, pears, peaches and bananas ?
Finally, if we want to ask the same question but encompassing different elements in the same whole. Taking the previous example, here is how we will formulate the question :
あなたはこの果物の中でどれを食べる？
What do you eat among these fruits ?
You see that we use の + 中で which means « among these fruits ».
4th Precision
All the interrogative words in ど that we have seen in this course work with +か, +も, +でも. Remember, we saw all of this in the previous course entitled « Ask a question in Japanese » to create new words to put in our sentences.
We will start with undefined words with the particle か.
+か (undefined word)
どれか → Any
どのか → Which one
どちらか → One or the other, one of the two
どっちか → One or the other, one of the two (familiar register)
どなたか → Someone (polite, synonymous with 誰か . だれか)
どいつか → Someone (familiar register, almost contemptuous)
We have just created new words, obviously these are no longer interrogative words to ask a question but we will use them as nouns in our sentences.
I’ll give you a quick example. Attention, for this time, there is an adjective but it is very easy to remember :
どちらか同じだ。
Either one is the same. / One or the other is the same.
Then we can combine interrogative words with the particle も to indicate an absolute positive value :
+も (absolute positive value)
どれも → Each
どのも → Which one
どちらも → Both
どっちも → Both (familiar register)
どなたも → Everyone, everybody (all people, polite, synonymous with 誰も . だれも)
どいつも → Everyone, everybody (familiar register, almost contemptuous)
We have just created new words, obviously they are no longer interrogative words to ask a question but we will use them as nouns in our sentences.
I’ll give you a quick example. Attention, this time, there is an adjective, 良い .よい which means « good ». It is very easy to remember :
どちらか同じだ。
Both are good.
The same example in a familiar register :
どっちも良いだ。
Both are good.
I will now return to the example seen above with the adjective 同じ . おなじ, this time with どちらも.
どちらも同じだ。
The two are the same.
These words, we will also use them with verbs in the negative form, which we will see later. Thus, interrogative words combined with the particle も and placed in a negative sentence allow to indicate an absolute negative value :
+も+ Verbs in negative form (absolute negative value)
どれも → None
どのも → Neither this one nor that one
どちらも → Neither one nor the other
どっちも → Neither one nor the other (familiar register)
どなたも → Nobody (no people, polite, synonymous with 誰も . だれも)
どいつも → Nobody (no people) (familiar register, almost contemptuous)
I give you a quick example :
パン屋にもペストリー屋にもティー屋にもどなたもいない。
There is no one in the bakery, or in the pastry shop, or (even) in the tea room. (polite)
Finally, we can combine interrogative words with the particle でも to encompass any element whatsoever :
+でも (encompass any element whatsoever)
どれでも → None
どのでも → Neither this one nor that one
どちらでも → One or the other, either of the two
どっちでも → One or the other, either of the two (familiar register)
どなたでも → Anybody (no people, polite, synonymous with 誰も . だれも)
どいつでも → Anybody (no people) (familiar, almost contemptuous register)
I give you a quick example :
風香はどちらでも食べる。
Fuuka eats either of the two.
5th Precision
With the prefixes こ・そ・あ・ど, there is also another way to place the elements in space when the speaker and the interlocutor are located in the same place designated by こ.
こ can therefore correspond to the speaker and the interlocutor when they are together in the same place, when they form a group. In this case, そ designates a place which is located at a medium distance from them, and あ designates a place, outside the place where the speaker and interlocutor are, and which is at a great distance from them.
6th Precision
We finally come to the last little detail to know. The prefix そ, and therefore all of its versions with all the endings we’ve seen today, can also be used to repeat a word already mentioned in a previous sentence…
I give you an example below where we indicate the position of the interlocutor :
私は学校に行く。そこで日本語を習う。
I go to school. There, I will learn the Japanese language.
私はブラシを買う。それで、絵を描く。
I buy brushes. With that, I will paint pictures.
Good ! In the first sentence, by using そこ you can repeat the word 学校 . ガッコウ without forgetting the particle で which indicates a place where the action will take place. And in the second sentence, by using それ you can repeat the word ブラシ without forgetting the particle で which indicates a place where the action will take place.
This course is finally over. I don’t know how many times I wrote this sentence, or how many more times I will write it again.
We saw a lot of things lately. You may have noticed that the course content is denser, but it is necessary to go through it. I couldn’t cut the course into several parts because, frankly, everything is important and above all everything is linked so I preferred to do everything in one go. So, the subject is closed.
We are almost at the end of this part on particles. We still have four important courses to see before we move on to the next part.
We have just completed a little more than three quarters of the season and if you’ve done everything right so far, I congratulate you. So, hang in there, don’t let go, keep working diligently and you will keep making progress.
But it is not yet time for you to jump into the next course because you have exercises to do, as usual theme version. You know the song; I’ll leave you to your homework. Take the time to understand everything we have seen before continuing. Write and rewrite the example sentences that we have seen in this course as well as the sentences that you find in the exercises.
And you have a little vocabulary list waiting for you below. Take a look. You may find this vocabulary in future courses and exercises.
フルーツバスケット . the fruits basket
ケーキ . the cake
登る .
のぼる . to climb (new verb)
習う .
ならう . to learn, to take lesson, to take course (new verb)
Introduction