Japanese word

これ

Pronunciation

Romajikore

Meaning

  • pronounthis

Example

これは何ですか？ko re wa nan de su ka

What is this?

Illustration for これ (this)

More examples

これは本です。ko re wa hon de su

This is a book.

これを使ってください。ko re o tsuka tte ku da sa i

Please use this.

Core concept

これ (kore) brings a nearby thing into the speaker's shared attention as the specific thing being identified.

Common phrases

  • これでko re de

    with this

  • これからko re ka ra

    from now on

  • これだけko re da ke

    only this

Similar words

それsore: A pronoun for identifying a thing near the listener or one already mentioned.
あれare: A pronoun for identifying a thing far from both the speaker and the listener.
こちらkochira: A polite pronoun for referring to a nearby person, place, or direction.

Definition in Japanese

話し手に近い物や事柄を指し示すもの。hana shi te ni chika i mono ya koto gara o sa shi shime su mo no

Word origin

これ (kore) is a native Japanese demonstrative formed from こ (ko, "near the speaker") and the pronoun-forming element れ (re).

Usage tips

  • Unlike English this, これ (kore) is normally not used for a person in ordinary polite Japanese, where この人 (kono hito) or こちら (kochira) is preferred.

Other meanings

  • this onepronoun

Word lists with this word