Japanese Language Stack Exchange
Japanese Language Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [kosoado]

こそあど. Questions regarding the ko/so/a/do word series, such as この・その・あの・どの

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其之 what's the exact meaning of this?

I'm translating a comic and I found this kanji combination on the headers. It's like a counter for pages. 其之一 其之二 etc. その is the reading. I wanted to get more info about that but I didn't find anything via google. Is that somehow familiar to…
lovelykotori
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これ・それ・あれ when referring to products in a store

I am generally familiar with the usage of こそあど words, however I wanted to verify which would be best to use in a store when asking you want to purchase something. I assume if you are pointing at a menu, you would use "これください", but if you are…
Locksleyu
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Choosing the right prefix of the ko-so-a-do series

When talking to native speakers, I find that I'm often corrected for picking the wrong prefix when using words from the ko-so-a-do series (as in これ、そちら、あそこ、どんな、etc). My confusion mainly involves ko-so-a (the do prefix being simpler since it …
Wenzel Jakob
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どのｖｓどれ- can I use them interchangeably?

Currently going through my textbook and we are learning about どの 例えば: サントスさんはどの人ですか。。あの背が高くて、髪が黒い人です This sounded awfully familiar to me. So I went back and remembered we learned どれ too. 例えば:ミラーさんの傘はどれですか。。。あの青い傘です It says in the grammar book we use…
bill
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は and が with 何 & こそあど

One of my textbooks said that you cannot use the particle は with 何 and undefined words of the こそあど. Yet I'm sure I've heard これは何ですか。 many times before, and これが何ですか。 sounds unnatural to me. What is the correct usage?
Philip Seyfi
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Origin of こんな, そんな, あんな and どんな

I wondered why こんな, そんな, あんな and どんな can be used prenominally without any particles. Due to the lack of a proper etymology dictionary in my possession (a recommendation would be appreciated), I came up with a theory on my own: Do they originate from…
Kaskade
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Why is こ〜 used towards 2nd person in derogatory speech?

Why is the こ prefix for pronouns used in derogatory speech in the presence of the other person, like: この野郎! or こいつ。何言いやがる？ Or maybe the question should not be why it's not こ〜, but rather "why not そ〜", as in referred speech I hear あの野郎, or あいつ,…
macraf
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Why/when should I use the different forms of this and that?

When do I use これ, それ, and あれ vs この, その, and あの to say "this" or "that". example: why is it それはペンです vs そのはペンです ?
Devynn
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Can その（其の）X be used without X previously being referenced?

Namely this definition of 澄ます: よけいなことを考えないで、その事一つに注意・意識を集中する。　 (under 3, http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/119957/m0u/). This seems to be used like ある, e.g. あること ("a certain thing"), not like "that thing"　そのこと, since the noun which その…
user10777
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How are こと and こんな being used in this sentence?

I have to translate the following. メモには、「毎日、家のことをしてくれて、ありがとう。」と書いてありました。 こんなやさしい、ロマンチックな日本人の男の人がいると思いますか。 For the first sentence, I am not sure what the note says. In the note, "Every day, you give ... to me, thank you" had been written. Maybe…
Snowy Coder Girl
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そう、こう、ああ、どう confusion

So, I am confused with the こそあど adverbs. I saw そういう in a song used like this. 博愛とか慈愛とかそういうの大切に扱ってよ。I am confused about the sentence 博愛とか慈愛とかそういうの. Does it literally mean "the thing that is felt (physical) or thought about called philanthropy and…
Star Peep
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あのレストラン vs そのレストラン in this conversation

A: 昨日おいしいレストランへ行ったんだっけ。 B: へえ。そのレストラン、なんの料理のお店？ A: イタリア料理。映画館の隣にある。 B: ああ、XX レストランなら、私も行ったことがある。 Should XX be あの, or その?
Agnes
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そんなだから A little help for translation

I need some help to figure out how can I translate そんなだから. It must quite vague because it seems to lack a noun after そんな (such as 時、本、etc.). If it had such nouns I could understand it like "at this kind of time, "this kind of book"). If I were to…
Alice B. Rabbit
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Why is そう used to refer to something the speaker just said?

This is what I know about the こそあど words: こ〜 is used to refer to something that is close to the speaker そ〜 is used to refer to something that is close to the listener or something not too far away from the speaker あ〜 is used to refer to something…
Sweeper
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basic grammar of pointing words

I am having some trouble with kore, sore, are, dore, dore no, kono, sono, ano, dono, koko, soko and doko. I know what they mean but I am trying to put them into sentence and the order of the particles is feeling like crap shoot. Not sure if this…
Faust
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