Basic Course
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Lesson 6: Saying “Here,” “There,” and “Where” in Japanese
In this lesson, I will teach you how to say “Here, There, Where” in Japanese.
How to say “Here, There, Where” in Japanese?
| Word | Explanation |
| ここ | ここ means 【here】 → place close to the speaker but far from the listener |
| そこ | そこ means 【there】 → place close to the listener but far from the speaker |
| あそこ | あそこ means 【over there】 → place both far from the speaker and the listener |
| どこ | どこ means 【where】 → place that you are uncertain |
Text:
ここは どこ ですか。
Where is this?
Koko wa doko desu ka.
ここは としょかん です。
This is a library.
Koko wa toshokan desu.
そこは どこ ですか。
Where is that (near you)?
Soko wa doko desu ka.
そこは きょうしつ です。
That is a classroom.
Soko wa kyoushitsu desu.
あそこは どこ ですか。
Where is that over there?
Asoko wa doko desu ka.
あそこは たいいくかん です。
That is a gymnasium.
Asoko wa taiikukan desu.
Note:
| ここ essentially means “here.” However, in English, it is often not translated as “here,” but more naturally as “this.” The same applies to そこ and あそこ. 1. Literal translation (unnatural) ここは私の部屋です。 ❌ Here is my room. Why does this sound unnatural? Because “Here is …” in English is typically used when handing something to someone or presenting it, e.g.: Here is your coffee. 2. Natural expression (recommended) ここは私の部屋です。 ✅ This is my room. In English, when identifying a place, we usually use “this / that”, not “here.” The same applies to そこ (“that [near you]”) and あそこ (“that over there”). 3. When do we use “here”? Use “here” when emphasizing location or environment: I live here. It’s quiet here. These describe a state or condition, not “This place is X.” 🔥 Key idea In Japanese: ここ = the speaker’s area そこ = the listener’s area あそこ = somewhere away from both In English, it maps to two forms: this / that → referring to “this/that place” (more common) here / there → emphasizing location ✅ Summary: ここ / そこ / あそこ = “here / there” in meaning, but often translated as this / that in natural English. |
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14 thoughts on “Lesson 6: Saying “Here,” “There,” and “Where” in Japanese”
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so….
the formal version of ここ、and これ is same?
if that so, how can we differentiat them?
from the context?
Yes, from context and full sentence, you should be able to tell which one is intended by the speaker.
ah, and yes, is there some kind of informal version here too?
I mean we used to replace こちらwith こっち when we mean これ but in a formal way. can we do the same here?or is there some other shortcuts/informal way to say it in this situation?
Yes こっち can be used for both これ and ここ, and it can also be used to refer to oneself or person close to speaker.
ここは私の先生ですか？< Is my teacher here?
あそこが危ないではありません< It's not dangerous there.
Oops I made a mistake in the first one.
私の先生はここにいますか？< Correction.
correct!
I decided to make a sentence on my own and used Google and turned out to be true! Yayyyy, the sentence is : あなたの車はここにあります
i want to ask what is different between 行く and 行き ？
行き is noun form of 行く
do both どこ and ども mean ‘where’ ?
nope, only どこ means “where”. There is no word “ども”
How come in “どこに行いきたいですか” you used “に” instead of “は” but not in the other examples?
The Particle に is used to indicate [place of arrival], you will learn more about it in Particle Course. No worries!