これ points to what’s near you, それ points to what’s near the person you’re talking to, and あれ points to something far from both of you.
This guide is for beginner learners who keep mixing up these three words. After reading, you’ll be able to pick the right one in real situations, like asking directions or returning an item at a store.
Quick Summary: これ is near you, それ is near your listener, and あれ is far from both of you.
| Word | Where It Points | Typical Situation |
|---|---|---|
| これ | Near the speaker | Something in your own hand or right next to you |
| それ | Near the listener | Something in their hand or right next to them |
| あれ | Far from both speaker and listener | Something across the room, down the platform, and so on |
- これ・それ・あれ: Three Distances, Not Two
- The One-Question Test: Near Me, Near You, or Near Neither?
- これ vs それ: Whose Side of the Conversation Is It On?
- あれ: When It’s Far From Both of You
- Common Mistakes: Mixing Up これ, それ, and あれ
- FAQ: これ・それ・あれ in Beginner Japanese
- Quick Quiz: Test Your これ・それ・あれ Sense
- Summary: これ・それ・あれ in Everyday Situations
これ・それ・あれ: Three Distances, Not Two
Why English Only Gives You Two Words for Three Slots
English uses “that” for two different distances. It covers the thing near your friend, and also the thing far away across the room.
Japanese splits these into two separate words: それ and あれ. This is exactly why English speakers often skip あれ, and use それ for everything that isn’t これ.
English speakers already slide through three levels of distance without noticing, saying “this one, that one, the one over there” when pointing across a counter. これ・それ・あれ just turns that sliding scale into three fixed, mandatory words.
The analogy breaks down here, though. English lets “that” cover both “near you” and “way over there.” Japanese forces a choice: それ only works if the thing is near your listener, and anything farther must be あれ.
The One-Question Test: Near Me, Near You, or Near Neither?
Answer This Before You Choose
Ask yourself: is it closer to me, closer to the person I’m talking to, or far from both of us?
Say you’re holding your phone and showing a photo to a friend. The phone is in your hand, so it’s closest to you.
That answer alone tells you the word: これ. You don’t need to think about grammar rules, just whose side the object is on.
これ vs それ: Whose Side of the Conversation Is It On?
Near You Beats Near Them
これ marks anything closer to you, even by a small margin. A map in your own hand is これ, even if your friend is standing right beside you.
それ marks anything closer to your listener. This includes things they’re holding, or something sitting right next to them.
Japanese: これ、返品できますか?
Romaji: Kore, henpin dekimasu ka?
English: Can I return this?
Why: これ is used because the speaker is holding the item.
Japanese: それ、新品ですか?
Romaji: Sore, shinpin desu ka?
English: Is that one you’re holding new?
Why: それ points to the item near the listener, here the clerk holding it.
あれ: When It’s Far From Both of You
Not Just “Over There” — Genuinely Out of Both People’s Reach
あれ is reserved for things neither person is near. Think of an item across a large store, or a train down the platform.
If either person could reach out and touch it, あれ is the wrong choice. Use これ or それ instead, based on whose side it’s closer to.
Japanese: あれ、何番線の電車ですか?
Romaji: Are, nanbansen no densha desu ka?
English: Which platform is that train on?
Why: あれ shows the train is far down the platform, not close to either speaker.
Japanese: あれ、いくらですか?
Romaji: Are, ikura desu ka?
English: How much is that one over there?
Why: あれ marks something across the store, out of reach for both people.
Common Mistakes: Mixing Up これ, それ, and あれ
When you swap これ, それ, or あれ for the wrong word, your listener still understands the pointing. But it sounds a bit off, like saying “this” for something across the room in English.
Unnatural: それ、渋谷行きですか?
Natural: あれ、渋谷行きですか?
English “that” already covers everything not right next to you. So learners stop at それ and never reach for あれ.
Common Mistake: これ、次の電車の時刻表ですか? should generally be それ、次の電車の時刻表ですか? これ is only for what’s near you. Anything nearer to the listener is それ, even while you’re both looking at it together.
FAQ: これ・それ・あれ in Beginner Japanese
Can I use これ, それ, あれ for people?
Generally no. For people, learners typically use words like この人 (this person) instead of これ alone. これ・それ・あれ mainly point to objects.
What if I can’t tell whose side something is on?
Answer: If you genuinely can’t tell whose side an item is on, that usually means it’s far from both of you. In that case, あれ is the safe choice.
Is there a question word version, like “which one”?
Yes, どれ means “which one” out of a group. It follows the same family as これ・それ・あれ, just used for asking instead of pointing.
Quick Quiz: Test Your これ・それ・あれ Sense
Try these three quick scenarios before checking the answers below.
- You’re holding a map and ask your friend about it. これ, それ, or あれ?
- Your friend is holding a pen and you ask about it. これ, それ, or あれ?
- A train is stopped far down the platform. これ, それ, or あれ?
1. これ – The map is in your own hand, so it’s closest to you.
2. それ – The pen is near your friend, the listener, so それ fits.
3. あれ – The train is far from both of you, down the platform.
Summary: これ・それ・あれ in Everyday Situations
- これ points to what’s near you.
- それ points to what’s near your listener.
- あれ points to what’s far from both of you.
- When unsure, ask the two-second test question: near me, near you, or near neither?
- If you truly can’t tell whose side something is on, あれ is generally the safe pick.
Once these three feel natural, you’re ready to move on to their related forms, like この, その, あの, in the next guide.
