あJLPT Japanese

N5 · Grammar

Grammar Lesson 3: Places Koko, Soko, Asoko

Grammar Notes: Lesson 3

Demonstratives 3: ここ, そこ, あそこ

This lesson introduces demonstratives for places.

Before You Start: Numbers and Floors

Description

This lesson sometimes uses a number with 階 (floor). You only need these three readings before continuing with place expressions.

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FloorJapaneseRomaji
1st floor1階ik-kai
2nd floor2階ni-kai
3rd floor3階san-gai

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
トイレは1階です。といれはいっかいです。Toire wa ik-kai desu.The restroom is on the first floor.
電話は2階です。でんわはにかいです。Denwa wa ni-kai desu.The telephone is on the second floor.

Usage Notes

  • 階 follows a number to show a floor in a building.
  • This is a small preparation step for location sentences. Review the Numbers vocabulary page if you need more number practice.

ここ / そこ / あそこ

Description

ここ, そこ, and あそこ refer to places.

School lobby diagram marking the speaker's area as ここ, the listener's area as そこ, and an area far from both as あそこ

In the illustration, the person on the left is the speaker. The pink area around the speaker is ここ, the blue area around the listener is そこ, and the distant green area is あそこ. These words point to places or areas, not to objects.

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WordRomajiMeaning
ここkokohere; near the speaker
そこsokothere; near the listener
あそこasokoover there; far from both speaker and listener

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
ここは食堂です。ここはしょくどうです。Koko wa shokudō desu.Here is the cafeteria.
そこは受付です。そこはうけつけです。Soko wa uketsuke desu.That place near you is the reception desk.
あそこは会議室です。あそこはかいぎしつです。Asoko wa kaigishitsu desu.That place over there is the meeting room.

Usage Notes

  • ここ, そこ, and あそこ are place words.
  • They can be used as nouns in simple sentences.

[Noun] は [Place] です。

Description

Use this pattern to indicate the location of a person or a thing.

Two-floor school cutaway showing a telephone on the second floor with the sentence 電話は2階です

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
コピー機はあそこです。こぴーきはあそこです。Kopīki wa asoko desu.The copier is over there.
トイレはそこです。といれはそこです。Toire wa soko desu.The toilet is there.
マリーさんは食堂です。まりーさんはしょくどうです。Marī-san wa shokudō desu.Mary is at the cafeteria.
電話は2階です。でんわはにかいです。Denwa wa ni-kai desu.The telephone is on the 2nd floor.

Usage Notes

  • [Place] can be a place word such as ここ, そこ, or あそこ.
  • [Place] can also be a specific location, such as 食堂 or 2階.

どこ / どちら

Description

どこ means "where." どちら is more polite or formal than どこ. どちら can also mean "which way."

Two reception scenes comparing お手洗いはどこですか with エレベーターはどちらですか and their answers

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
お手洗いはどこですか。おてあらいはどこですか。Otearai wa doko desu ka.Where is the restroom?
あそこです。あそこです。Asoko desu.It's over there.
エレベーターはどちらですか。えれべーたーはどちらですか。Erebētā wa dochira desu ka.Where is the elevator? / Which way is the elevator?
あちらです。あちらです。Achira desu.It's that way.
事務所はどこですか。じむしょはどこですか。Jimusho wa doko desu ka.Where is the office?
ここです。ここです。Koko desu.It's here.
受付はどちらですか。うけつけはどちらですか。Uketsuke wa dochira desu ka.Where is the reception desk? / Which way is the reception desk?
こちらです。こちらです。Kochira desu.It's this way.

Usage Notes

  • どこ is direct and common.
  • どちら is more polite and can ask about direction or location.

Ko-So-A-Do Demonstrative Series

Description

The Ko-So-A-Do demonstrative series organizes words by distance and question type.

Examples

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CategoryInterrogativeKo: Near SpeakerSo: Near ListenerA: Far From Both
Thingsどれ (which)これ (this)それ (that)あれ (that over there)
Things / Peopleどの [Noun] (which [Noun])この [Noun] (this [Noun])その [Noun] (that [Noun])あの [Noun] (that [Noun] over there)
Placesどこ (where)ここ (here)そこ (there)あそこ (over there)
Places, politeどちら (where; which way)こちら (this way; here)そちら (that way; there)あちら (that way over there)

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
こちらは受付です。こちらはうけつけです。Kochira wa uketsuke desu.The reception desk is this way.
そちらは事務所です。そちらはじむしょです。Sochira wa jimusho desu.The office is that way near you.
あちらは会議室です。あちらはかいぎしつです。Achira wa kaigishitsu desu.The meeting room is that way over there.
エレベーターはどちらですか。えれべーたーはどちらですか。Erebētā wa dochira desu ka.Which way is the elevator?

Usage Notes

  • これ, それ, あれ, and どれ stand alone.
  • この, その, あの, and どの must be followed by a noun.
  • ここ, そこ, あそこ, and どこ refer to places.

お国

Description

The polite prefix お is added before words relating to the listener or a third person to express the speaker's respect.

Polite school reception dialogue asking お国はどちらですか and answering 中国です beside a globe

Examples

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JapaneseHiraganaRomajiEnglish Meaning
お国はどちらですか。おくにはどちらですか。Okuni wa dochira desu ka.Where are you from? / What is your country?
中国です。ちゅうごくです。Chūgoku desu.I'm from China.
ミラーさんのお国はどちらですか。みらーさんのおくにはどちらですか。Mirā-san no okuni wa dochira desu ka.What country is Mr. Miller from?
アメリカです。あめりかです。Amerika desu.He is from the United States.
リンさんのお国はどちらですか。りんさんのおくにはどちらですか。Rin-san no okuni wa dochira desu ka.What country is Ms. Lin from?
中国です。ちゅうごくです。Chūgoku desu.She is from China.

Usage Notes

  • お国 is a polite way to ask about someone's country.
  • Use お国 for the listener or a third person, not as a casual replacement in every context.

Quick Check

Try thisSample answer
Ask politely: "Where is the reception desk?"受付はどちらですか。
Say: "The copier is on the second floor."コピー機は2階です。
Answer: "The elevator is over there."エレベーターはあちらです。