こちら・そちら・あちら: Polite Japanese Demonstratives for Directions & People
Master the polite Japanese demonstratives こちら, そちら, あちら, どちら — used for directions, people, and business Japanese. Essential JLPT N5 grammar.
By SJA Teaching Team · Published · Updated
こちら, そちら, あちら, どちら: The Polite Way to Point and Refer
In Japanese, there's a whole system of "pointing words" (demonstratives) based on distance. The こそあど pattern is one of the most elegant features of the language — and a JLPT N5 must-know.
The こそあど System Overview
Japanese demonstratives follow a 4-part pattern:
| Distance | Things | Place | Direction/Person (polite) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near speaker | これ (this) | ここ (here) | こちら (this way/person) |
| Near listener | それ (that) | そこ (there) | そちら (that way/person) |
| Far from both | あれ (that over there) | あそこ (over there) | あちら (that way/person) |
| Question | どれ (which?) | どこ (where?) | どちら (which way/person?) |
When to Use こちら, そちら, あちら
These polite forms serve two purposes:
1. Giving Directions
- トイレは どちらですか？ – Where is the washroom?
- トイレは こちらです。 – The washroom is this way.
- きょうしつは そちらです。 – The classroom is that way.
- たなかさんの レストランは あちらです。 – Mr. Tanaka's restaurant is over there.
2. Referring to People (Polite)
You cannot use これ, それ, あれ for people — it's like calling someone "this thing"! Use こちら/そちら/あちら instead:
- こちらは この レストランの シェフです。 – This (person) is this restaurant's chef.
- そちらは どちらさまですか？ – Who is that (person)? (very polite)
- あちらは New Tokyoの しゃちょうです。 – That (person) is the president of New Tokyo.
Business Japanese Essential
These forms are heard constantly in Japanese workplaces:
- こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします。 – The pleasure is mine. (responding to introductions)
- そちらの ごいけんは？ – What is your opinion? (polite)
- こちらへ どうぞ。 – This way, please.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ これは たなかさんです → ✅ こちらは たなかさんです (use こちら for people)
- ❌ トイレは どこですか (casual) → ✅ トイレは どちらですか (polite)
Practice Dialogue
A: すみません、えきは どちらですか？ B: えきは あちらです。まっすぐ いってください。 A: ありがとうございます。 B: どういたしまして。
(A: Excuse me, which way is the station? B: The station is over there. Please go straight. A: Thank you. B: You're welcome.)
How SJA Builds Your Politeness Skills
- ✅ Business Japanese role-play exercises
- ✅ Direction-giving practice with real maps of Japanese cities
- ✅ Customer service Japanese training
- ✅ JLPT N5 demonstrative pattern drills
Contact SJA
📞 Phone: 015301205 / 9851049635 📧 Email: special.japanese@ymail.com 📍 Location: Kalimati, Kathmandu (Above Everest Bank)