The Ko-So-A-Do System Japanese Demonstratives

The Four Distance Categories

In English, we mainly use a two-part system to point things out: "this/here" for things close to us, and "that/there" for things further away. Japanese uses a more precise system based on four syllables: こ (Ko), そ (So), あ (A), and ど (Do).

This is universally known as the Ko-So-A-Do system. Understanding how it maps to physical space (or psychological distance) is the key to pointing out anything in Japanese.

• こ (Ko) - Near the speaker: Used for things close to the person talking ("this").
• そ (So) - Near the listener: Used for things close to the person listening ("that").
• あ (A) - Far from both: Used for things distant from both speaker and listener ("that over there").
• ど (Do) - Question: Used to ask questions ("which", "where").

Once you memorize these four prefixes, you simply attach different endings to them to talk about objects, locations, directions, or methods.

Pointing at Things

The most common use of the system is to point at physical objects. To create demonstrative pronouns (standalone words for objects), add れ (re) to the prefixes.

These words function as nouns and can stand completely alone as the subject or object of a sentence.

Modifying Nouns

If you want to say "this book" instead of just "this", you cannot use これ. Instead, you change the ending to の (no). These words function like demonstrative adjectives and must be followed immediately by a noun.

Unlike standard Japanese adjectives, these words do not conjugate. For a full guide on how standard adjectives work, see Introduction to Japanese Adjectives.

Pointing at Places

When talking about locations ("here", "there", "where"), add こ (ko) to the prefixes. Note that the "a" version is slightly irregular and becomes あそこ instead of just "あこ".

Directions and Choices

For directions ("this way", "that way"), use the っち (cchi) ending for casual speech, or ちら (chira) for formal speech.

Beyond physical directions, these words are frequently used when choosing between two options. For instance, if someone asks you to pick between coffee and tea, you use どっち/どちら to ask "which one (of the two)".

Referring to People

To refer to a person ("this person", "that person"), you simply attach the noun to the この/その series.

If you want to be polite (for example, introducing someone at work or talking to a customer), use the formal direction words (こちら, そちら) instead.

Manner Adverbs

The final group describes the way something is done ("in this way", "like that"). Notice that the "A" version has a double "a" sound instead of adding an "u".

Real-World Usage

Imagine you are standing at a market stall. Depending on where an object is located relative to you and the merchant, the word you use will change.

Notice how sentences end with when asking questions. Review Forming Questions in Japanese if you need a refresher on how to build questions. You'll also see that particles like は (wa) and を (wo) attach directly to words like これ and あれ. For a breakdown of how markers work, check out the guide on Introduction to Japanese Particles.

Study Tips

The Ko-So-A-Do system is highly systematic. You do not need to memorize every single word as an individual vocabulary item. Instead, remember the 4 prefixes (こ・そ・あ・ど) and recognize the patterns of the endings.

When you hear a word starting with "そ", you immediately know it has something to do with the listener's space. When you hear "ど", you instantly know a question is being asked.

As you spend more time with the language, adjusting based on spatial relationships will become second nature. Reading and listening are the fastest ways to solidify this framework. For more on learning through exposure, check out our guide on A Practical Guide to Language Immersion.