Two rows of the こそあど grid handle location. The place row (ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ) names spots — "here, there, over there, where." The direction / polite row (こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら) names directions — "this way, that way" — but quietly does a second job as the polite backbone of service Japanese. Together they let you ask where the restroom is, tell a guest which way to go, and introduce a colleague, all from the same four prefixes.
The place row: ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ
| Word | Meaning | Where the place is |
|---|---|---|
| ここ | here | where the speaker is |
| そこ | there | where the listener is |
| あそこ | over there | away from both of us |
| どこ | where | the question form |
These are the single most useful demonstratives for a traveler. どこ, in particular, is your master key for finding anything.
トイレはどこですか。
toire wa doko desu ka
Where's the restroom?
駅はすぐそこですよ。
eki wa sugu soko desu yo
The station is right there (near you).
あそこにコンビニがあります。
asoko ni konbini ga arimasu
There's a convenience store over there.
The same three-way split runs through the place row: ここ is my spot, そこ is your spot, あそこ is a spot away from us both. When you answer "where?" with a location right by yourself, it is ここ.
鍵、どこ？ — あ、ここにあった。
kagi, doko? — a, koko ni atta
Where are the keys? — Oh, they were right here.
The direction / polite row: こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら
| Polite (formal) | Casual (informal) | Core meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こちら | こっち | this way / this side |
| そちら | そっち | that way / your side |
| あちら | あっち | over that way |
| どちら | どっち | which way / which of two |
At their most literal, these point in a direction. The こちら forms are (formal/polite); the っち forms — こっち・そっち・あっち・どっち — are (informal) everyday speech.
こちらへどうぞ。
kochira e dōzo
This way, please.
お手洗いはあちらです。
otearai wa achira desu
The restroom is over that way.
こっち来て、早く！
kotchi kite, hayaku
Come over here, hurry! (informal)
The hidden job: こちら as polite keigo
Here is the connection that textbooks rarely draw explicitly. The こちら row is not just "directions" — it is the polite substitute for the whole location system, and it stretches even further, standing in for people and for the speaker's own side. In service Japanese (a shop, a hotel, a phone call), こちら quietly replaces ここ, これ, and even 私.
こちら as a polite "here / this place":
お会計はこちらでお願いします。
okaikei wa kochira de onegai shimasu
Please pay over here. (polite)
こちら as a polite "this person" — the standard way to introduce someone:
こちらが部長の山田さんです。
kochira ga buchō no Yamada-san desu
This is Mr. Yamada, our department head. (polite introduction)
こちら as a humble "I / my side / us":
こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。
kochira koso, yoroshiku onegai shimasu
No, the pleasure is mine. / Likewise. (literally 'it is my side that should say so')
And どちら is the polite word not only for "which of two" but for a courteous "where," which is why the standard polite way to ask where someone is from uses どちら, not どこ:
ご出身はどちらですか。
goshusshin wa dochira desu ka
Where are you from? (polite)
そちらの天気はどうですか。
sochira no tenki wa dō desu ka
How's the weather over there (on your end)? (polite, e.g. on the phone)
The casual echo: こっち as "me / us," そっち as "you"
The keigo こちら doubles as "I / my side," and its casual twin こっち does exactly the same job in friendly speech. Among friends and family, こっち often means "me / my end / where I am," そっち means "you / your end," and あっち means "over there / that other place." This is everyday spoken Japanese, especially on the phone or in messages.
こっちは元気だよ。そっちはどう？
kotchi wa genki da yo. sotchi wa dō
Things are good on my end. How about you? (informal)
今、あっち行ってるから、後でかけ直すね。
ima, atchi itteru kara, ato de kakenaosu ne
I'm heading over there right now, so I'll call you back later. (informal)
So the location row quietly stretches to cover people and sides of a conversation at both registers: polite こちら/そちら in service Japanese, casual こっち/そっち among friends. The physical "here/there" meaning and the personal "me/you" meaning share one word.
When distance is really about the listener
Because the place row uses the same こ/そ/あ engine, "there" splits in two. Something near the person you are talking to is そこ; something far from both of you is あそこ. English "there" covers both, so beginners routinely say あそこ when they mean そこ.
そこに置いといて。
soko ni oitoite
Just leave it there (right by you).
For a focused drill contrasting the place row with the pronoun row, see これ・それ・あれ and ここ・そこ・あそこ.
Common mistakes
❌ トイレはあこですか。
Incorrect — the place word for the あ-column is irregular: あそこ, never あこ.
✅ トイレはあそこですか。
toire wa asoko desu ka
Is the restroom over there?
❌ ここは同僚の田中さんです。
Incorrect — ここ means 'this place,' so this says 'this location is Mr. Tanaka.' To introduce a person, use こちら.
✅ こちらは同僚の田中さんです。
kochira wa dōryō no Tanaka-san desu
This is my colleague, Mr. Tanaka.
❌ （お客様に）ご出身はどこですか。
Too blunt for a customer or superior — どこ is neutral; politeness calls for どちら.
✅ ご出身はどちらですか。
goshusshin wa dochira desu ka
Where are you from? (appropriately polite)
❌ 鞄はあそこにあるよ。（鞄は相手のすぐ足元）
Incorrect — the bag is right at the listener's feet, so it is そこ, not あそこ.
✅ 鞄はそこにあるよ。
kaban wa soko ni aru yo
Your bag is right there (by you).
Key takeaways
- The place row ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ names spots; remember the irregular あそこ.
- The direction row こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら names directions, with casual twins こっち・そっち・あっち・どっち.
- こちら is a keigo powerhouse: it politely replaces ここ ("here"), これ (implied), the introduction of a person ("this is…"), and even 私 ("my side / me").
- Ask a customer or superior where they are from with どちら, not どこ.
- As always, "there" splits: そこ is by the listener, あそこ is away from both of you.
Now practice Japanese
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Start learning Japanese→Related Topics
- The こそあど SystemN5 — How Japanese demonstratives build a single こ/そ/あ/ど grid crossing distance with word type — pronouns, noun-modifiers, places, directions, kinds, and manner.
- これ・それ・あれ: This, That, That Over ThereN5 — The standalone demonstrative pronouns これ・それ・あれ・どれ — how to use them, and why they can never sit directly in front of a noun.