N5 · Unit 1
Lesson 2This one, that one, and whose
Identify objects by distance and ask their name, category, or owner.
What you learn
Identify objects by distance and ask their name, category, or owner.
Learning points
- Object demonstratives
- Demonstratives before nouns
- Possession and category
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
これ / それ / あれ / どれ ・ この / その / あの + NBeginner explanation
これ refers to an item near the speaker, それ near the listener, and あれ away from both. Before a noun, use この, その, or あの. N の N can show possession or category.
Understand these sentences first
- これは かさです。kore wa kasa desu
This is an umbrella.
- それは わたしの 本です。sore wa watashi no hon desu
That is my book.
- あれは だれの かばんですか。are wa dare no kaban desu ka
Whose bag is that?
- この ノートは ミナさんのです。kono noto wa Mina-san no desu
This notebook is Mina's.
Core vocabulary
- これこれthis
- それそれthat near you
- あれあれthat over there
- どれどれwhich
- 本ほんbook
- 傘かさumbrella
- かばんかばんbag
- ノートノートnotebook
Grammar, one point at a time
これ, それ, and あれ depend on speaker and listener position
これ／それ／あれ は N ですFace to face, これ is in the speaker's area, それ in the listener's area, and あれ away from both. When both face the same direction, これ is near both, それ is farther, and あれ is farther still.
Examples
- これは 本です。This is a book.
- あれは テレビです。That over there is a television.
Use だれ or どなた for people and 何 for things
だれ／どなた／何 ですかAsk だれですか when you do not know who someone is, or use the more polite どなたですか. Ask 何ですか for an unknown thing. The final か remains even though a question word is present.
Examples
- あの人は どなたですか。Who is that person?
- それは 何ですか。What is that?
N の N expresses possession
owner の objectの places the owner before the object. When the object is already clear, the second noun can be omitted, leaving N のです.
Examples
- わたしの かぎmy key
- この カメラは ミナさんのです。This camera is Mina's.
この, その, and あの must precede a noun
この／その／あの + Nこれ, それ, and あれ stand alone. Before a noun, use この, その, or あの; これ本 is not grammatical. Their distance relationships match the corresponding standalone forms.
Examples
- この ノートthis notebook
- あの 自転車that bicycle over there
どれ stands alone; どの precedes a noun
どれ／どの + NTo ask which one among three or more candidates, use どれ alone or どの before a noun. For a choice between two, どちら is common.
Examples
- あなたの かばんは どれですか。Which one is your bag?
- どの 机ですか。Which desk is it?
Expressions and situations
方 is a polite alternative to 人
For a respected or unfamiliar person, あの方 is more polite than あの人. To ask identity politely, どちらの方ですか is also possible.
- あの方は 先生です。That person is a teacher.
何歳ですか and おいくつですか
Ask age with 何歳ですか or the more polite おいくつですか. Whether the question is appropriate still depends on relationship and setting; do not ask unfamiliar adults mechanically.
どうぞ offers, invites, or yields the turn
Use どうぞ when handing something over, inviting someone to sit, or letting them go first. A recipient often replies ありがとうございます.
- これ、どうぞ。Here you are.
えっ shows surprise or mishearing; わあ shows delight
えっ can show surprise or that you did not hear, but repeating it may sound rude. わあ is common when seeing something delightful or impressive.
- えっ、何ですか。Oh, what is it?
- わあ、きれいですね。Wow, it is beautiful.
はい can answer a call; ええ is a casual confirmation
Answer when your name is called with はい, not ええ. Use ええ as a relaxed affirmative reply in conversation.
- ミナさん。—はい。Mina? — Yes.
Loanwords are normally written in katakana
Modern foreign borrowings, foreign place names, and foreign personal names normally use katakana, as in カメラ, シルク, and ロンドン. Historical Chinese-derived kanji words are usually treated as Sino-Japanese vocabulary, not this loanword category.
どうも strengthens thanks
どうも ありがとうございます strengthens the thanks. In casual settings, どうも can stand alone as brief thanks, but it is less formal.
Your family and another person's family often use different terms
When speaking outwardly about your own family, use forms such as 父, 母, 兄, and 姉. For another person's family or direct address, use お父さん, お母さん, お兄さん, and お姉さん. The contrast marks in-group and out-group perspective, not lesser respect for your family.
What you should be able to do
- Choose これ, それ, or あれ from distance.
- Change a standalone demonstrative to この, その, or あの before a noun.
- Ask about a person or thing with だれ, どなた, or 何.
- Use の for ownership and omit a repeated noun.
- Hear a demonstrative and identify which side the object is near.
- Complete an original exchange for offering a gift, reacting, and thanking.
Culture and real use
Ask about family without assuming a household structure
Household statistics and social labels change over time. In actual conversation, first consider whether the person is comfortable discussing family, then choose the appropriate kinship term. Do not infer marriage or living arrangements from age.
- ご家族の 写真ですか。Is this a photo of your family?
- この方は どなたですか。Who is this person?