この・その・あの: This/That + Noun | Japanese Grammar

この, その, and あの are the modifier row of the こそあど grid. They mean "this ~," "that ~," and "that ~ over there," and unlike their pronoun cousins これ・それ・あれ, they must be followed by a noun. You cannot end a sentence on この — it is grammatically incomplete on its own, in exactly the way English "this" is fine but "my" needs a noun after it.

The four members

Word	Meaning	Where the noun is
この〜	this ~	near the speaker (by me)
その〜	that ~	near the listener (by you), or just mentioned
あの〜	that ~ over there	far from both of us, or a shared memory
どの〜	which ~	the question form (choosing among three or more)

Grammatically these are determiners (連体詞, rentaishi): words whose entire job is to attach to a noun. They point at the noun and locate it in space or in the conversation.

この本、もう読んだよ。

kono hon, mō yonda yo

I've already read this book.

その車、かっこいいね。

sono kuruma, kakkoii ne

That car (by you) is cool.

あの店、今日は休みみたい。

ano mise, kyō wa yasumi mitai

That shop (over there) seems to be closed today.

どの電車に乗ればいいですか。

dono densha ni noreba ii desu ka

Which train should I take?

The distance logic is identical to the pronoun row and to the whole system: この = near me, その = near you (or just mentioned), あの = far from both (or a shared memory), どの = which. The choice hinges on who the noun is near, not on an English sense of "close" versus "far." For the deep dive on that three-way split, see これ・それ・あれ and ここ・そこ・あそこ.

The mirror image: この is NOT これ

The pronoun page warns that これ can never be followed by a noun. This page is the other half of that rule: この can never stand alone. They are perfect mirror images.

Pronoun (stands alone)	Modifier (needs a noun)
これ — this one	この〜 — this ~
それ — that one	その〜 — that ~
あれ — that one over there	あの〜 — that ~ over there
どれ — which one	どの〜 — which ~

The clearest way to feel the split is a minimal pair — the same idea said both ways:

これは私の傘です。

kore wa watashi no kasa desu

This one is my umbrella. (これ = the whole subject)

この傘は私のです。

kono kasa wa watashi no desu

This umbrella is mine. (この attaches to 傘)

Same picture, same meaning — but in the first sentence the demonstrative is the subject, and in the second it is glued to 傘 (かさ, umbrella). Pick the wrong row and the sentence breaks.

💡

English gives you a shortcut. In "this is expensive," "this" stands alone → これ. In "this bag is expensive," "this" leans on "bag" → この. If a noun follows the English "this/that," you are in the この/その/あの row every time.

Everyday uses

Because they point at a specific noun, これ's modifier siblings are everywhere in shopping, describing, and asking questions.

Picking an item off a shelf (polite):

この色、どう思う？

kono iro, dō omou

What do you think of this color?

Referring to something the other person raised — その is the standard word for "that [thing you just mentioned]":

その話は前に聞いたことがあります。

sono hanashi wa mae ni kiita koto ga arimasu

I've heard that story before.

Pointing at a person across the room (polite; どなた is the polite form of 誰):

あの人はどなたですか。

ano hito wa donata desu ka

Who is that person over there?

Recalling a place you both know — あの for shared memory:

あのラーメン屋、また行きたいなあ。

ano rāmen-ya, mata ikitai nā

That ramen place — I'd love to go again.

その for what was just said

The modifier row does the same double duty as the pronouns: besides pointing at physical nouns, it points at nouns inside the conversation. When you refer back to a thing the other person just mentioned — a plan, a word, a place — その is the default, because the referent came out of the listener's side of the exchange. English would often use "that" or even just "the": "the story you told," "that plan of yours."

その計画、ちょっと無理があると思う。

sono keikaku, chotto muri ga aru to omou

That plan (the one you just described) is a bit of a stretch, I think.

When the noun is instead something you both already know from shared experience, it shifts to あの — even if neither of you can see it right now.

あの映画、もう一回観たいね。

ano eiga, mō ikkai mitai ne

That movie (the one we both saw) — I'd love to watch it again.

The rule of thumb is identical to the pronoun row: その for something the listener introduced, あの for something you share. This discourse behavior is developed further on the こそあ in discourse page.

どの and how to say "which of these"

どの selects among three or more members of a known set. For a choice between exactly two, Japanese prefers どちら/どっち, just as with the pronoun どれ.

どのケーキにする？

dono kēki ni suru

Which cake are you going to get? (from several on display)

💡

どの always needs its noun: どの色 ("which color"), どの人 ("which person"), どの席 ("which seat"). If you want a bare "which one?", drop back to the pronoun row and use どれ.

Common mistakes

❌ これ本をください。

Incorrect — これ is a pronoun and cannot modify 本; you need the determiner この.

✅ この本をください。

kono hon o kudasai

This book, please.

❌ この、いくらですか。

Incorrect — この is dangling with no noun; a modifier can't end a phrase.

✅ これ、いくらですか。

kore, ikura desu ka

How much is this?

❌ あの車は君のでしょ？（車は相手のすぐ横にある）

Incorrect — the car is right beside the listener, so it is in the listener's sphere: その, not あの.

✅ その車は君のでしょ？

sono kuruma wa kimi no desho

That car is yours, right? (it's right there by you)

❌ りんごとバナナ、どの果物が好き？

Incorrect — with only two items, use どっち/どちら rather than どの.

✅ りんごとバナナ、どっちが好き？

ringo to banana, dotchi ga suki

Apples or bananas — which do you like?

Key takeaways

この/その/あの/どの are determiners: they always attach to a following noun and can never stand alone.
They are the exact mirror image of these pronouns: これ is a whole noun phrase, この needs a noun to complete it. Learn the pair together.
The distance logic is the shared こそあど one — この near me, その near you or just mentioned, あの far from both or a shared memory.
Use どの + noun to pick from three or more; drop to どれ for a bare "which one," and to どっち／どちら for exactly two.

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