γγγ»γγγ»γγ
kore / sore / are
This / That / That over there
πΈ Demonstrative Pronouns (Ko-So-A-Do) πΈ
π¬ Dialogue
Kore wa nan desu ka.
What is this?
Sore wa omiyage desu.
That is a souvenir.
Sore wa hon desu ka.
Is that a book?
Iie, kore wa nΕto desu.
No, this is a notebook.
Are wa nan desu ka.
What is that over there?
Are wa kamera desu.
That over there is a camera.
π Vocabulary
5 wordsβ Key Sentence
kore / sore / are wa B desu.
This / That / That over there is B.
- Pattern: γγγ»γγγ»γγ γ― [B] γ§γγ
- Meaning: Identifying objects based on distance.
Kore wa ringo desu.
This is an apple.
Are wa kuruma desu.
That over there is a car.
π Explanation
Japanese uses three different words to say 'this' or 'that' depending on the distance from the speaker and the listener.
γγ (kore) is used for things close to the speaker.
γγ (sore) is used for things close to the listener.
γγ (are) is used for things far from both the speaker and the listener.
Kore wa hon desu.
= 'This (near me) is a book.'
Are wa nan desu ka?
= 'What is that (over there)?'
π Quiz
Which word would you use for an object far away from both people?