🌸 Japanese Topic 15初級🌱 Beginner

こちら・そちら・あちら

kochira sochira achira

This way / That way / That way over there.

🌸 Polite Demonstratives for Direction, Place, and People 🌸

💬 Dialogue

🌸 Polite Directions 🌸

店員：いらっしゃいませ。こちらへどうぞ。

Ten'in: Irasshaimase. Kochira e douzo.

Welcome. This way, please.

ケン：すみません、トイレはどこですか。

Ken: Sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka.

Excuse me, where is the restroom?

店員：お手洗いはあちらです。

Ten'in: Otearai wa achira desu.

The restroom is over there.

ケン：ありがとうございます。そちらは出口ですか。

Ken: Arigatou gozaimasu. Sochira wa deguchi desu ka.

Thank you. Is that way (near you) the exit?

店員：いいえ、出口はあちらです。

Ten'in: Iie, deguchi wa achira desu.

No, the exit is over there.

ケン：あちらですね。わかりました。

Ken: Achira desu ne. Wakarimashita.

Over there, right. I understand.

📖 Vocabulary

5 words

KanaRomajiEnglish

こちらkochirathis way / this place (polite)

そちらsochirathat way / that place (polite)

あちらachirathat way over there (polite)

おてあらいotearairestroom (polite)

でぐちdeguchiexit

⭐ Key Sentence

お手洗いはあちらです。

Otearai wa achira desu.

The restroom is over there.

Pattern: こちら / そちら / あちら
Meaning: Polite direction/location indicators.

受付はこちらです。

Uketsuke wa kochira desu.

The reception is this way.

エレベーターはあちらです。

Erebētā wa achira desu.

The elevator is over there.

🎓 Explanation

The words こちら, そちら, and あちら are polite versions of 'koko', 'soko', and 'asoko'.

こちら (Kochira): Near the speaker or the direction the speaker is facing.

そちら (Sochira): Near the listener or the direction the listener is facing.

あちら (Achira): Far from both the speaker and the listener.

These terms are also used to politely refer to people (e.g., 'this person') or to introduce someone in a formal setting.

Kochira wa Tanaka-san desu.
= 'This (person) is Mr./Ms. Tanaka.'

Achira e douzo.
= 'Please go that way.'

📝 Quiz

How do you politely say 'The exit is over there (far from both)'?