Grammar › Core Patterns
この / その / あの / どの — “this/that (+ noun)”
Pointing at a noun directly: この本 — this book / その人 — that person
この/その/あの/どの always attach directly before a noun (“this book,” “that person”), unlike これ/それ/あれ/どれ, which stand alone as full pronouns (“this,” “that”). Mixing the two families up — saying これ本 instead of この本 — is one of the most common beginner slips.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| この/その/あの/どの + noun | この本は面白いです — this book is interesting |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| この本は面白いです。 | このほんはおもしろいです。 konohonhaomoshiroidesu。 | This book is interesting. |
| その人は誰ですか。 | そのひとはだれですか。 sonohitohadaredesuka。 | Who is that person? |
| あの建物は何ですか。 | あのたてものはなんですか。 anotatemonohanandesuka。 | What is that building (over there)? |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
これ/それ/あれ (no noun attached) and この/その/あの (noun attached) are easy to mix up — これ本 is ungrammatical; it must be この本, with the noun directly following.