Non-Specific Subjects
When referring to the subject of a sentence, like how in English there are words such as “this” or “that” there are Japanese equivalents of those words.
> これ・この
これ translates to the word “this,” used to refer to a subject near the speaker.
| Kanji | Hiragana | English |
| これは私の日本語の教科書です。 | これは わたし の にほんご の きょうかしょ です | This is my Japanese textbook. |
> それ・その
それ translates into the word “that,” used to refer to a subject closer to the listener, and farther from the speaker.
| Kanji | Hiragana | English |
| それは雑誌ですか？ | それは ざっし ですか？ | Is that a magazine? |
> あれ・あの
あれ translates to the phrase “that over there,” used to refer to something most likely distant from both the speaker and the listener.
| Kanji | Hiragana | English |
| あれは動物園です。 | あれは どうぶつえん です。 | That over there is a zoo. |
> どれ・どの
れ translates into the word “which.”
| Kanji | Hiragana | English |
| どれですか？ | どれですか？ | Which is it? |
Important: A key thing to remember is that これ, それ, あれ, and どれ are terms that can stand alone in their meaning but cannot show possession.
| Kanji | Hiragana | English |
| ぞれ？ | ぞれ？ | That one? (Casual) |
Conversely, この, その, あの, and どの are phrases that cannot stand alone, but show possession to something.
| Kanji | Hiragana | English |
| このDVDです。 | このDVDです。 | It’s this DVD. |
| どのレストランですか？。 | どのレストランですか？ | Whichi restaurant is it? |