Lesson 8 · about 5 minutes

Here, there, and where

koko · soko · asoko · doko

ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ

You'll learn four tiny words for pointing at places.

The words

RomajiJapaneseReadingMeaning
kokoここここhere (near me)
sokoそこそこthere (near you)
asokoあそこあそこover there (far from both of us)
dokoどこどこwhere?

How they differ

In a story, distance is from the speaker's point of view, not from you as the reader.

ここ (koko) is the place close to the speaker. そこ (soko) is close to the other person. あそこ (asoko) is away from both. どこ (doko) asks "where?"

You'll often see them with:

に (ni): marks a place you go to or are at → 「ここ に います。」(koko ni imasu)

で (de): marks a place where something happens → 「ここ で たべます。」(koko de tabemasu)

は (wa): marks the place as the topic → 「ここは どこ ですか?」(koko wa doko desu ka?)

Same map as これ / それ / あれ / どれ:

こ (ko) = close to me → ここ (koko)

そ (so) = close to you → そこ (soko)

あ (a) = away from both → あそこ (asoko)

ど (do) = which / where → どこ (doko)

One line: こ = me, そ = you, あ = away, ど = which/where. Places use こ/そ/あ/ど + こ.

Next: "This X / that X" uses the same map with a noun: この / その / あの / どの (kono / sono / ano / dono).

See it in a sentence

  1. koko desu

    ここ です。

    It's here. (polite)

  2. doko desu ka?

    どこ ですか?

    Where is it? (polite)

  3. soko ni suwatte kudasai

    そこ に すわって ください。

    Please sit there. (polite)

  4. asoko desu

    あそこ です。

    It's over there. (polite)

  5. koko de ii desu ka?

    ここ で いい ですか?

    Is here okay? (polite)

Watch out

ここ (koko) = a place near me ("here") / これ (kore) = a thing near me ("this") そこ (soko) = a place near you ("there") / それ (sore) = a thing near you ("that") あそこ (asoko) = a place far away ("over there") / あれ (are) = a thing far away ("that over there")

Try it

  1. In your next story, find ここ (koko), そこ (soko), or どこ (doko) once. Say out loud whether the place is near the speaker, near the other person, or far from both.

    Decide: near speaker, near the other person, or far from both.