GrammarJLPT N5
→ this (near speaker)
This one (near the speaker)
JLPT N5Pronoun
これ is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this one," used to refer to something that is physically or conceptually close to the speaker. It belongs to the こ-そ-あ-ど (ko-so-a-do) system of Japanese demonstratives, where the こ series indicates proximity to the speaker, the そ series indicates proximity to the listener, the あ series indicates distance from both, and the ど series forms questions. Unlike この, which is a demonstrative adjective that must modify a noun (e.g., この本 "this book"), これ stands alone as a noun and replaces the noun entirely (e.g., これは本です "This is a book"). これ is used across all registers from casual to formal and is one of the first words learners encounter. In addition to pointing at physical objects, これ can refer to topics, situations, or ideas that the speaker is about to introduce or has just mentioned, functioning somewhat like "this" in English when presenting new information.
Examples
Example #1
これは本です。
This is the most fundamental use of これ. The speaker holds or points to an object close to them and identifies it. これ functions as the topic of the sentence marked by は, and the predicate tells us what it is. Since これ replaces the noun entirely, no additional noun is needed after it, distinguishing it from この which must be followed by a noun.This is a book.
Structures
- Basic usage as subject or object
- これ + particle (は / が / を / も, etc.) + predicate
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is confusing これ with この. Remember that これ stands alone as a pronoun (e.g., これは本です), while この must always be followed by a noun (e.g., この本はおもしろい). Saying "これ本" without a particle is incorrect. Another frequent error is mixing up これ, それ, and あれ: これ refers to things near the speaker, それ to things near the listener, and あれ to things far from both. Learners sometimes default to これ for everything, so it is important to pay attention to the physical or contextual distance between the speaker, listener, and the item being discussed.
Related
それあれこのここどれ