Kore, Sore, Are, and Dore: Point to Things

これ, それ, and あれ stand in for a thing. They do not need a following noun. In a shared physical space, the choice depends on where the thing is relative to the speaker and listener. The same words can also refer to things in a conversation.

Formation and use

これ points near the speaker, それ near the listener, and あれ away from both in the basic distance model. When both people stand together, the practical boundaries depend on the shared viewpoint.

These words are noun-like: これをください, それは本です. Before an explicit noun use この・その・あの instead: この本, not これ本.

Comparisons and common errors

どれ asks which item from a relevant set. In どれがあなたの本ですか, が identifies the requested item. The answer can be これです or これが私の本です.

Pointing expressions change when the speaker changes: the same object in your hand may be これ for you and それ for the other person. Do not keep the English “this” without checking the viewpoint.

Practise with explanations

Try the 10 questions below, or open the practice set. Check each answer or the whole set, read the explanation, and retry mistakes. First-attempt results are kept separately on this device.

Connected lessons

• Kono, Sono, Ano, and Dono: Point with a Noun
• Koko, Soko, Asoko, and Doko: Point to Places
• Desu and Da: Noun Sentences, Negatives, and Past