Japanese Kosoado: Master こそあど言葉 in Japanese Language

If you've been learning Japanese for even a little while, you've probably run into these mysterious words: これ, それ, あれ. They all seem to mean "this" or "that," but picking the right one feels like guessing sometimes.😟 The good news? There's actually a super logical system behind them called kosoado, and once you get it, you'll wonder why it seemed confusing in the first place. Let me break down exactly how this works so you can stop second-guessing yourself every time you need to point at something.

What is ko-so-a-do in Japanese

The Japanese kosoado system, known as (ko-so-a-do kotoba), is basically a framework for talking about things, places, and directions based on distance. The name comes from the four prefixes: ko-, so-, a-, and do-. Each prefix tells you how far something is from the speaker and listener.

Here's the basic idea.

Pretty straightforward, right? But here's where it gets interesting. These prefixes attach to different endings to create words for objects, places, directions, and even manners of doing things. You end up with a whole grid of related words that follow the same distance logic.

Refer to things with kosoado words

Let's start with the most common set: ko-so-a-do words that refer to things or objects.

These four words work as pronouns. They stand alone and replace the noun entirely. You can point at a cup and say "" (What is this?) without needing to say the word "cup."

Adding specificity with この, その, あの, どの

Now here's where the system gets more useful. If you want to modify a specific noun instead of replacing it entirely, you use この (kono), その (sono), あの (ano), and どの (dono).

The difference matters. これ replaces the noun completely. この requires you to say what thing you're talking about. You can't just say この by itself. It needs a noun to modify.

I see beginners mix these up constantly. They'll say "この is delicious" when they mean これ.

Location words: ここ, そこ, あそこ, どこ

The kosoado system extends to places too. Instead of pointing at objects, you're indicating locations.

These location words follow the exact same distance logic as the thing words. Once you internalize the ko-so-a-do pattern, you automatically know how to use the whole set.

Direction and side: こちら, そちら, あちら, どちら

Getting a bit more formal, we have the directional series. こちら (kochira), そちら (sochira), あちら (achira), and どちら (dochira) indicate directions or sides, and they're also politer ways to say the basic words.

These are particularly useful in polite conversation. The basic この, その, あの series can sound a bit blunt when talking about people, so switching to こちら, そちら, あちら adds a layer of respect.

The こそあど set for manner and type

There's even more. The kosoado system includes words for "like this" or "this kind of."

There's also こんな, そんな, あんな, and どんな for "this kind of," "that kind of," etc. These modify nouns: "" (This kind of book), "そんなこと" (That kind of thing), "" (That kind of person), "" (What kind of food).

The そ series especially comes up in responses. When someone tells you something and you reply "そうですか," you're literally saying "Is it that way?" You're referring back to what they just said using the そ distance, because the information came from them.

Understanding the distance zones

Let me clarify the actual distance rules because this trips people up.

Can I use あれ for things that are close but I want emotional distance? Technically you could, but it would sound weird in most contexts. The a- series does sometimes create psychological distance, like when talking about something unpleasant or distasteful, but forcing it onto physically close objects sounds unnatural. Stick to the physical distance rules first.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The biggest mistake?

One more thing: don't overthink the psychological distance stuff when you're starting out. Focus on physical distance first. Once that's automatic, you'll naturally pick up the subtler uses from context and conversation.

Practical examples in context

Let's see this in action.

Imagine you're in a shop:

Or at a restaurant:

Or discussing plans:

The system works the same way every time. Once you've got the distance logic down, you just swap in the appropriate prefix.

Practice makes permanent

The kosoado system looks like a lot when you see it all laid out, but you're probably already using half these words without thinking about it. これ, それ, ここ, どこ, and そう come up in basically every conversation.

Do you want to study Japanese in a more convenient way? The best approach is to see these words in actual context. Reading manga, watching shows, or having conversations will drill the patterns into your brain way faster than memorizing charts. You'll start noticing when characters use この versus これ, or when そう pops up in responses.

Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You'll catch これ, それ, and the whole kosoado system in natural context without breaking immersion. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

FAQs

The charts are useful for reference, but you want to study Japanese to achieve real fluency!

There is no answer to this other than seeing repetition in context. Every time you see これ in a sentence, your brain reinforces "thing near speaker." Every time you hear someone say "そうですね," you're learning how そ works in agreement. Start paying attention to which demonstrative people choose and why, in the media you like.

You'll pick up faster than you expect.