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Japanese Ko-So-A-Do: Objects, Places and Words Before a Noun

Choose what kind of expression you need before choosing its position: an object, a place, or a word that goes before a noun. A clear physical scene makes the basic ko-so-a-do map easier to apply.

Inku editorial team · Published · 3 min read

Japanese ko-so-a-do words form related rows for pointing to objects, pointing to places, and describing a following noun. Choose the row first. Then consider the speaker and listener's positions. A word meaning “that one” cannot always replace the form meaning “that” before a noun.

State the physical scene

For the examples below, the speaker and listener stand apart. The speaker has one bag nearby, the listener has another, and a third is far from both. This scene follows the distinction in the TUFS object-demonstrative explanation.

A demonstrative is a word that points to something in the situation. Here, the ko group points near the speaker, the so group near the listener, and the a group away from both. The do group asks which object or place is intended.

Object words can stand on their own

  • これ (これ, kore, "this one near the speaker")
  • それ (それ, sore, "that one near the listener")
  • あれ (あれ, are, "that one away from both")
  • どれ (どれ, dore, "which one")

Use this row when the expression stands for the object itself. In the stated scene, pointing to the listener's bag calls for the so object word. You do not need to attach the noun “bag” to that standalone word.

The TUFS summary table and questions places the question word in the same row. Keep it with the object choice rather than mixing it with a question about location.

Place words point to a location

The TUFS place explanation gives a separate row:

  • ここ (ここ, koko, "here near the speaker")
  • そこ (そこ, soko, "there near the listener")
  • あそこ (あそこ, asoko, "over there away from both")
  • どこ (どこ, doko, "where")

Use this row for where the bag is, rather than which bag it is. Notice the full form in the distant-place word. Learn the checked word instead of forcing every row into an identical spelling pattern.

Before a noun, use the noun-modifying row

The TUFS noun-modifier explanation shows a third pattern. These forms need a following noun in this basic use:

  • この (この, kono, "this, before a noun")
  • その (その, sono, "that near the listener, before a noun")
  • あの (あの, ano, "that away from both, before a noun")
  • どの (どの, dono, "which, before a noun")

For example, その本 (そのほん, sono hon, "that book near you") includes the noun. The noun-modifying form does not stand alone with the meaning “that one.”

“Which bag?” follows the same pattern: どのかばん (どのかばん, dono kaban, "which bag"). The summary page includes that phrase in a question. Keep the noun attached when remembering this row.

Work through one bag decision

  1. Decide whether you mean the object itself, its location, or a phrase that names the bag.
  2. Identify whose area contains it in the stated scene.
  3. Choose the matching row and position.
  4. Check whether the selected form needs a noun after it.

For the bag by the listener, the object row supplies “that one,” the place row supplies “there,” and the before-noun row supplies the beginning of “that bag.” The pointing relationship stays the same, but the grammatical job changes.

Know the map's limit

TUFS also describes speakers viewing things from the same position: near, intermediate and far regions matter there. These words also occur in conversation beyond physical pointing. Do not treat the separated-speaker picture as an explanation of every abstract reference.

The wa and ga guide covers a different sentence question. For keeping words with context, use the vocabulary-learning guide.

Next, browse Inku's public vocabulary library for one familiar object. Use the physical scene above to choose a checked noun phrase, keeping the object and place rows separate.

Sources

  • TUFS: pointing to an object — With speaker and listener apart, object words distinguish the speaker's area, listener's area and distance from both. The same-position scene has a different distance map. (checked 2026-10-17)
  • TUFS: pointing to a place — The place row uses koko, soko and asoko, with spatial regions tied to the speaker/listener scene. (checked 2026-10-17)
  • TUFS: a demonstrative before a noun — Kono, sono and ano require the following noun in the basic noun-modifying pattern; the book example supports the worked phrase. (checked 2026-10-17)
  • TUFS: the three demonstrative rows and question forms — The table joins object, place and noun-modifying rows with dore, doko and dono plus a noun; examples include asking which bag. (checked 2026-10-17)

Prepared by our editorial team with AI assistance. Product details are checked against the sources below.

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