Ko-So-A-Do: The Japanese Pointing System

English Has a Problem

English only has two distances: this (near me) and that (not near me). That's it. If something is across the room versus across the street versus right next to the person you're talking to, English uses "that" for all of them.

Japanese thought about this and said: we can do better.

The Ko-So-A-Do Grid

Japanese splits the world into four zones using a system so clean it almost feels like it was designed by an engineer. Every demonstrative word starts with one of four sounds:

Now here's the magic — this prefix system applies to everything: things, modifiers, and places. Same four prefixes, different endings.

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Row 1: Things — これ / それ / あれ / どれ

These are standalone pronouns. They point at a thing without naming it.

How They Work

これ — The thing is near you, the speaker. You could touch it.

これは何ですか？ Kore wa nan desu ka? What is this?

これはスマホです。 Kore wa sumaho desu. This is a smartphone.

それ — The thing is near the listener, or in their "zone." You'd have to reach over or walk to get it.

それはいくらですか？ Sore wa ikura desu ka? How much is that? (The thing near you.)

それを見せてください。 Sore o misete kudasai. Please show me that. (The thing you're holding.)

あれ — The thing is far from both of you. You're both looking at something in the distance.

あれは東京タワーです。 Are wa Tōkyō Tawā desu. That (over there) is Tokyo Tower.

あれは何ですか？ Are wa nan desu ka? What is that thing over there?

どれ — You don't know which one, so you're asking.

どれが好きですか？ Dore ga suki desu ka? Which one do you like?

どれがあなたのですか？ Dore ga anata no desu ka? Which one is yours?

The Convenience Store Test

Picture yourself at a convenience store counter:

• The onigiri in your hand → これ
• The drink the clerk is holding → それ
• The sign on the far wall → あれ
• You can't decide and ask the clerk → どれがおすすめですか？ (Which do you recommend?)

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Row 2: Modifiers — この / その / あの / どの

These go directly before a noun. They can never stand alone.

これ vs. この — The Key Difference

This is the #1 confusion point for beginners:

• これ stands alone: これは本です。 (This is a book.)
• この needs a noun: この本は面白いです。 (This book is interesting.)

You cannot say このは本です. And you cannot say これ本は面白いです. They have different jobs.

Think of it this way:

• これ/それ/あれ = "this one" (replaces the noun)
• この/その/あの = "this ___" (describes the noun)

Examples

この — this [noun], near me:

この映画は面白いです。 Kono eiga wa omoshiroi desu. This movie is interesting.

その — that [noun], near you:

そのかばんはいくらですか？ Sono kaban wa ikura desu ka? How much is that bag (you're holding)?

あの — that [noun], over there:

あの人は誰ですか？ Ano hito wa dare desu ka? Who is that person over there?

どの — which [noun]?

どの本が好きですか？ Dono hon ga suki desu ka? Which book do you like?

あの as a Filler Word

You'll also hear あの… used as a conversation filler, like "um…" or "well…":

あの…すみません。 Ano... sumimasen. Um... excuse me.

This is the same あの but used differently — it's buying time while you think. Similar to あのう.

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Row 3: Places — ここ / そこ / あそこ / どこ

Same four zones, but now for locations.

Wait — Why あそこ and Not あこ?

Sharp eye. The pattern should be あこ, but it's あそこ. This is a historical quirk — the place words broke the pattern slightly. Just memorize あそこ and move on. Everyone trips on this once.

Examples

ここ — here, where I am:

ここに座ってください。 Koko ni suwatte kudasai. Please sit here.

ここはどこですか？ Koko wa doko desu ka? Where is this place? (Where am I?)

そこ — there, where you are or near you:

そこに置いてください。 Soko ni oite kudasai. Please put it there (where you are).

そこは寒いですか？ Soko wa samui desu ka? Is it cold there?

あそこ — over there, far from both of us:

トイレはあそこです。 Toire wa asoko desu. The restroom is over there.

あそこに銀行がありますか？ Asoko ni ginkō ga arimasu ka? Is there a bank over there?

どこ — where?

トイレはどこですか？ Toire wa doko desu ka? Where is the restroom?

出身はどこですか？ Shusshin wa doko desu ka? Where are you from?

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The Full Grid

Here's the complete system on one chart. Print this out or screenshot it.

Three rows, four columns, twelve words. That's the entire system.

And it keeps going beyond what we've covered today — there's also こちら/そちら/あちら/どちら (polite directions), こう/そう/ああ/どう (manner — "like this/that"), and こんな/そんな/あんな/どんな (kind — "this kind of"). They all follow the same こ/そ/あ/ど pattern.

Once you internalize the four-zone logic, every new ko-so-a-do word clicks instantly.

The Secret: It's About Shared Knowledge Too

Here's something textbooks often skip. そ-words don't only mean "near you physically." They also refer to things the listener knows but the speaker doesn't:

A: 昨日、新しいレストランに行きました。 B: そのレストランはどこですか？

A: "I went to a new restaurant yesterday." B: "Where is that restaurant?"

B hasn't been there — it's not physically near anyone. But it's in A's experience, so B uses その. The そ-zone extends to the listener's knowledge.

Meanwhile, あ-words can mean something both speakers know about:

A: 去年行った沖縄のビーチ、覚えてる？ B: うん、あそこはきれいだったね。

A: "Remember that Okinawa beach we went to last year?" B: "Yeah, that place was beautiful."

Both speakers share the memory, so they use あ. This is the abstract layer of ko-so-a-do — physical distance and informational distance.

Practice

Translate these, choosing the right ko-so-a-do word:

1. (Holding a pen) "What is this?" → ？
2. (Pointing at the clerk's screen) "How much is that?" → ？
3. (Pointing at a mountain in the distance) "What is that?" → ？
4. (At a store with many options) "Which one is good?" → ？
5. "Where is the library?" → ？
6. "Please sit here." → ？
7. (Friend mentions their school) "Is that school big?" → ？

Answers:

1. これは何ですか？
2. それはいくらですか？
3. あれは何ですか？
4. どれがいいですか？
5. 図書館はどこですか？
6. ここに座ってください。
7. その学校は大きいですか？

Keep Going

The ko-so-a-do system is one of the most satisfying parts of Japanese to learn. It's a grid, it's logical, and once you have it, you can point at anything — literally or figuratively.

指差すのも日本語！ (Yubisasu no mo nihongo!) — Even pointing is Japanese!