Teach Us, Teacher

Demonstratives (Lesson 3)

Demonstratives are the words we use, when we point to the things, persons or places we are talking about. We call them KO-SO-A-DO words, taking the first syllables of the demonstratives of four groups. KORE (this), KOKO (here, at this place) and KONO (this which comes before a noun) belong to the KO group, as these words all begin with KO. They refer to things, persons or places close to the speaker.

SORE (it), SOKO (there) and SONO (there which comes before a noun) belong to the SO group. These refer to things, people or places close to the listener. But if the speaker and the listener are close together, these words refer to things, people or places a little distant from both of them.
ARE (that), ASOKO (over there) and ANO (that which comes before noun) belong to the A group. They refer to things, people or places distant from both the speaker and the listener.

And DORE (which), DOKO (where) and DONO (which that comes before noun) are in the DO group.

When you indicate directions, you say KOCHIRA (this way), SOCHIRA (there), ACHIRA (that way), and DOCHIRA (which way).

KO-SO-A-DO words are very important and we use them often.