これ, それ, あれ: this, that and that over there

これ — this one, right here

これ points at whatever is close to the speaker: これは ほんだ = 'this is a book.'

これ points at whatever is close to YOU, the speaker — in your hand, at your feet. これは ほんだ = 'this is a book.' Point, name it, done.

• これは ねこだ。

  This is a cat.

• これは みずだ。

  This is water.

Note: これ stands alone — it IS the thing ('this one'). It never glues onto a noun; that job belongs to a different word you'll meet later.

これ・それ・あれ — near me, near you, over there

これ is near me, それ near you, あれ far from us both — swap the pointer, keep the sentence.

Three pointers, one system: これ = near ME, それ = near YOU, あれ = far from us BOTH. Swap the pointer, keep the sentence — everything else stays the same.

• これは ほんだ。

  This is a book. (in my hand)

• それは ほんだ。

  That's a book. (near you)

• あれは ほんだ。

  That's a book. (way over there)

Note: こ・そ・あ is a distance ladder you'll meet again and again (me → you → yonder). A fourth rung, the question 'which one?', joins later this module.

Here, there — ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ

ここ/そこ/あそこ mark here/there/over there, mirroring これ/それ/あれ one step out.

Place pointers mirror これ/それ/あれ/どれ, one step out: ここ = here (by me), そこ = there (by you), あそこ = over there (away from both), どこ = where? ねこは どこ？ 'where's the cat?' → あそこ。 'over there.'

• ねこは どこ？

  Where's the cat?

• かぎは ここ。

  The key's right here.

• ほんは そこ。

  The book's there, by you.

この ほん — pointing at a named thing

この, その, あの, どの always need a noun right after them; これ, それ, あれ, どれ stand alone.

You already own これ / それ / あれ / どれ — words that stand alone and mean "this one", "that one", "which one". この / その / あの / どの are the same four distances with one difference: they can NEVER stand alone. They must have a noun right behind them. 「これ」 is "this one"; 「この ほん」 is "this book". The distances are the ones you already know from ここ / そこ / あそこ: この is next to you, その is next to the person you are talking to, あの is away from you both, and どの asks "which one of them". That is the whole lesson — it is the third row of a table you have had since module 4.

• あの ひとは あにの ともだちだ。

  That person over there is my older brother's friend.

• この かばんは あねのだから きれいだ。

  This bag is my older sister's, so it's pretty.

• その しゃしんは ちちが かった。

  My father bought that photo.

• この みせは やすいから よく いく。

  This shop is cheap, so I go often.

• どの くるまが ははのだ？

  Which car is my mother's?