JLPT N5 Grammar: ここ / そこ / あそこ – This Place / That Place / That Place Over There

Meaning

In Japanese, ここ (koko), そこ (soko), and あそこ (asoko) are demonstrative words used to talk about places. They indicate relative distance between the speaker and listener.

• ここ (koko) – this place (near the speaker)
• そこ (soko) – that place (near the listener)
• あそこ (asoko) – that place over there (far from both speaker and listener)

Example Sentences

• ここは静かですね。
  This place is quiet, isn’t it?
• そこに椅子があります。
  There is a chair at that place (near you).
• あそこは公園です。
  That place over there is a park.
• 田中さんは今、ここにいます。
  Tanaka-san is here now.
• そこは会社の入口ですか？
  Is that the company entrance?
• あそこにレストランがありますよ。
  There is a restaurant over there.

Vocabulary List

• 静か（しずか） – quiet
• 椅子（いす） – chair
• 公園（こうえん） – park
• 入口（いりぐち） – entrance
• レストラン – restaurant

Kanji List

• 静 – quiet (音読み: セイ, 訓読み: しずか)
• 椅 – chair (only used in compound word 椅子)
• 子 – child, also part of 椅子 (いす)
• 園 – garden/park (音読み: エン, 訓読み: その)
• 入 – enter (音読み: ニュウ, 訓読み: い-る)

Grammar Notes

These words are often used without particles to describe location. For example, “ここは” simply means “this place is…” without needing extra description.
They can be combined with direction or position words like:

• こっち / そっち / あっち – this way / that way / that way over there
• こちら / そちら / あちら – polite form of こっち / そっち / あっち

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blanks with ここ, そこ, or あそこ:

1. _______ は私の家です。
2. 先生は今、_______ にいます。
3. トイレは_______ です。

Answers:

1. ここ
2. そこ
3. あそこ

Related Grammar

• JLPT N5 Grammar List – 60 Essential Grammar Points
• そう思います – I think so
• そうだ – I heard that
• た-form – past tense; completed action
• て-form – connects actions; request form
• てください – please do ~
• と – and; with; if/when
• ところ – about to; in the middle of
• とき – when
• は – topic marker
• よく – often; well

Summary

• ここ – this place (near me)
• そこ – that place (near you)
• あそこ – that place over there (far from both)
• Useful for describing places and asking for directions

thuandao

I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.