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What is the difference between この and こちら/こっち

(こっち is the informal form of こちら)

The definitions my book provide are as follows:

(この = This)

(Example = (この子 = (This is) my child))

(こちら/こっち = This(person))

(Example #1 = (こちらは本堂さんです = This (person) is Mr Hondou))

(Example #2 = (こっちは家内です = This is my wife)

Please help!

George
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  • Related: https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/35836/9831 / https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/19105/9831 ...and this might be of help, too: https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/21194/9831 – Chocolate Nov 06 '17 at 10:45

2 Answers2

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Grammatically, この functions as a pre noun only adjective, while the other functions as a noun. このneeds to be in front of a noun for it to do anything, or else it might not make a whole lotta sense

Roy Fuentes
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    So, what is the difference between introducing someone with この vs こちら/こっち, because technically from what your saying, you can introduce someone with この because that person is a noun – George Nov 06 '17 at 15:17
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    The difference between the two is as follows: この needs something following it to make it properly function, especially if it doesn't imply anything. For example, if someone were to say "this" in a chat, they might say, "this...what, exactly?" if they don't know the context the speaker expects them to. こちら is a polite way to introduce something or someone, and is complete in and of itself – Roy Fuentes Nov 08 '17 at 00:10
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Also こちら can also refer to place/location, "here", as in someone can tell you こちらへどうぞ (This way, please), but yeah, in most cases it refers to persons and it's a more polite to address someone, like when you introduce them. There is also the use of こちらの which, from the cases that I know, can be translated as "our". Imagine someone talking to you and saying for example: "Our/こちらの___(item, person etc.) is__(insert qualities here). It's like someone talking in the name of a collective. Sorry if I explained it bad! That's just how I understand them!

Alice B. Rabbit
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