ここ / そこ / あそこ — Here / There / Over There
The location words of the こそあど system. ここ = near the speaker, そこ = near the listener, あそこ = far from both, どこ = where?
Structure
ここ (near me) / そこ (near you) / あそこ (far from both) / どこ (where?)
Examples
ここはどこですか。
Koko wa doko desu ka.
Where is this place? / Where am I?
ここ (this place, near me) + は + どこ (where) + ですか
ペンはそこにあります。
Pen wa soko ni arimasu.
The pen is there (near you).
ペンは (the pen) + そこに (there, near you) + あります
トイレはあそこです。
Toire wa asoko desu.
The bathroom is over there.
あそこ (over there — far from both speaker and listener) + です
• The こ・そ・あ・ど series: こ (near me), そ (near you), あ (far from both), ど (question). It applies to location (ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ), things (これ・それ・あれ・どれ), and direction/politer things (こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら). • Note the 'far' location is あそこ (irregular), not あこ.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ここ is tested against.
vs これ / それ / あれ
ここ series points to places ('here/there'); これ series points to objects ('this/that thing'). Same こそあど prefixes, different nouns.
vs この / その / あの
ここ etc. stand alone as 'place' nouns; この etc. are adjectives that must attach to a noun (この本 'this book').
Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki
Everything on this page, free to browse
- 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio
- 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
- 444 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
- Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio
Get the Android app