Grammar Notes: Lesson 3
Demonstratives 3: ここ, そこ, あそこ
This lesson introduces demonstratives for places.
ここ / そこ / あそこ
Description
ここ, そこ, and あそこ refer to places.
| Word | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ここ | koko | here; near the speaker |
| そこ | soko | there; near the listener |
| あそこ | asoko | over there; far from both speaker and listener |
Examples
| Japanese | Romaji | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ここは食堂です。 | Koko wa shokudō desu. | Here is the cafeteria. |
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.
Examples
| Japanese | Romaji | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| コピー機はあそこです。 | Kopīki wa asoko desu. | The copier is over there. |
| トイレはそこです。 | Toire wa soko desu. | The toilet is there. |
| マリーさんは食堂です。 | Marī-san wa shokudō desu. | Mary is at the cafeteria. |
| 電話は2階です。 | 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."
Examples
| Japanese | Romaji | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お手洗いはどこですか。 | Otearai wa doko desu ka. | Where is the restroom? |
| あそこです。 | Asoko desu. | It's over there. |
| エレベーターはどちらですか。 | Erebētā wa dochira desu ka. | Where is the elevator? / Which way is the elevator? |
| あちらです。 | Achira desu. | It's that 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
| Category | Interrogative | Ko: Near Speaker | So: Near Listener | A: 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) |
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.
Examples
| Japanese | Romaji | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お国はどちらですか。 | Okuni wa dochira desu ka. | Where are you from? / What is your country? |
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.