Basic Japanese #3
Here we are with our 3rd lesson!
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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