Today we'll study demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjectives.
Demonstrative pronouns in japanese are divided in four groups, the ones whose words begins with 'ko-' indicate something close to the speaker (proximal demonstrative) and the ones who begins with 'so-' that indicates something not too close or too far from the speaker (medial). Then there are words beginning with 'a-' that indicates a long distance, while interrogative words, used in questions, begin with 'do-'.
Demonstrative pronouns in japanese are never followed by a noun, also they are usually written in hiragana.
Demonstrative pronouns in japanese are never followed by a noun, also they are usually written in hiragana.
Here's a simple chart that sum all up.
| - kore | (これ) means | 'this thing / these things' (near speaker) |
| -sore | (それ) means | 'that thing / those things' (near listener) |
| -are | (あれ) means | 'that thing / those things' (distant from both speaker and listener) |
| -dore | (どれ) means | 'which thing(s)?' |
| -kochira or kotchi | (こちら / こっち) means | 'this / here ' (near speaker) - Formal |
| -sochira or sotchi | (そちら / そっち) means | 'that / there' (near listener)- Formal |
| -achira or atchi | ( あちら / あっち) means | 'that / there' (distant from both speaker and listener)- Formal |
| -dochira or dotchi | (どちら / どっち) means | 'what / where' - Formal |
example:
The speaker can point to a bag in front of the listener and say: ''それはあなたのかばんです.''(sore wa anata no kaban desu) Meaning- That is your bag.
The question word for these pronouns is どれ (dore), mostly used to determine certain object from within a group of similar objects.
Ex ''あなたのかばんはどれですか'' (anata no kaban wa dore desu ka? )-Meaning: Which (one of these bags) is you bag?.
Other pronouns are koko, soko and asoko. They refer to places instead of things, unlike kore sore and are,
| - koko | (ここ ) refers | to the place where the speaker is. |
| -soko | (そこ) points | to the place where the listener is. |
| -asoko | (あそこ) indicates | the place which is far from both the speaker and the listener. |
The question word for these three pronouns is どこ (doko), mostly used to determine where a place is located.
Ex Question: トイレはどこですか。 (to i re wa doko desu ka?) Answer: あそこです。 (asoko desu) - Meaning: Question: Where is the toilet?Answer: It's over there.
Demonstrative adjectives
| - kono | (この) means | an object or person near to the speaker. |
| -sono | (その) means | an object or person near to the listener. |
example:
Speaker point a bag in front of him and say ''このかばんはわたしのです''(kono kaban wa watashi no desu) Meaning- This bag is mine.
The question word for these adjectives is どの (dono), mostly used to determine certain object/person from within a group.
Ex ''わたしのかばんはどのかばんですか。'' (watashi no kaban wa dono kaban desu ka? )- Meaning: Which one is my bag? / Which one of (these bags) is mine?
As opposed to pronouns, demonstrative adjectives are always followed by a noun.
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Go here to recap previous lessons.
Examples taken from learn-japanese-adventure.com.
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