Grammar › Core Patterns
こう / そう / ああ / どう — “like this/that, how”
Describing a manner: こうしてください — please do it like this
こう/そう/ああ/どう describe the manner of an action — “this way,” “that way,” “how” — rounding out the こ/そ/あ/ど demonstrative family alongside これ/この (things) and here/there words for places.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| こう/そう/ああ/どう + verb | こうしてください — please do it this way |
| どう + ですか (asking opinions) | この味はどうですか — how does this taste? |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こうすれば簡単にできます。 | こうすればかんたんにできます。 kousurebakantannidekimasu。 | If you do it this way, it's easy. |
| 彼はいつもそう言います。 | かれはいつもそういいます。 karehaitsumosouiimasu。 | He always says that (in that way). |
| 新しい仕事はどうですか。 | あたらしいしごとはどうですか。 atarashiishigotohadoudesuka。 | How's the new job? |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
どう alone asks for an opinion or manner (“how is it?”) — it's not interchangeable with どんな, which always needs a following noun to ask “what kind of (noun)?”.