ここ

See also: こご and ごご

Japanese

Etymology 1

⟨ko₂ko₂⟩ → /koko/

From Old Japanese.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ここ [kòkó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞ko̞]

Pronoun

ここ (rōmaji koko)

1. (deictically) this place, area, or part (near the speaker). Can be juxtaposed with a phrase with で (de) or に (ni).
   • 1985 December 20, Watanabe, Taeko, “第だい四十八話わ　家か族ぞく Ⅰ [Chapter 48: Family Ⅰ]”, in ファミリー！ [Family!], volume 11 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 72:

     シアトルからＬ (こ)Ａ (こ)へは…息 (むす)子 (こ)を尋 (たず)ねてきました…ぼくは———ジョナサン・アレンの父 (ちち)親 (おや)です

     Shiatoru kara koko e wa… musuko o tazunetekimashita …Boku wa ———Jonasan Aren no chichioya desu

     I came here from Seattle… to look for my son …I am ———Jonathan Allen’s father

   • 2004 August 17, CLAMP, “Chapitreシャピトル.46 夢ゆめの世せ界かい [Chapitre.46 Dream World]”, in ツバサ ＲＥＳＥＲＶｏｉｒ ＣＨＲｏＮｉＣＬＥ [Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE], volume 7 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, page 91:

     ここは桜花 (エドニス)国 (こく)にある妖精遊園地 (フェアリーパーク)

     Koko wa Edonisu-koku ni aru Fearī Pāku

     This is Fairy Park of Edonis

2. (deictically) this organization or team (near the speaker). Can be juxtaposed with a phrase with で (de) or に (ni).
3. (anaphorically) this place, area, or part I am talking about (only the speaker knows).
4. (anaphorically) this organization or team I am talking about (only the speaker knows).

Usage notes

• Kanji spellings include 此処, 此所, 是, 爰, 茲, but this term is now usually spelled in hiragana, as ここ.

See also

Japanese demonstratives

	ko- “this” (close to speaker)	so- “that” (close to listener)	a- “that over there” (far from both)	do- “which” (indeterminate, question)
Object	これ (kore)	それ (sore)	あれ (are)	どれ (dore)
	これら (korera)	それら (sorera)	あれら (arera)	—
Determiner	この (kono)	その (sono)	あの (ano)	どの (dono)
	これらの (korera no)	それらの (sorera no)	あれらの (arera no)	—
Kind	こんな (konna)	そんな (sonna)	あんな (anna)	どんな (donna)
Place	ここ (koko)	そこ (soko)	あそこ (asoko)*	どこ (doko)
Direction	こちら (kochira)	そちら (sochira)	あちら (achira)	どちら (dochira)
	こっち (kotchi)	そっち (sotchi)	あっち (atchi)	どっち (dotchi)
Human	こいつ (koitsu)	そいつ (soitsu)	あいつ (aitsu)	どいつ (doitsu)
Manner	こう (kō)	そう (sō)	ああ (ā)**	どう (dō)
* irregular ** regular (long vowel)

Classical Japanese pronouns and demonstratives

	First person	Second person	Close to speaker	Close to listener	Far from both	Interrogative	Reflexive
Person	あ (a), あれ (are) わ (wa), われ (ware) まろ (maro)	な (na), なれ (nare) なんぢ (nanji) まし (mashi) いまし (imashi) みまし (mimashi) きみ (kimi)	こ (ko), これ (kore)	そ (so), それ (sore)	あ (a), あれ (are) か (ka), かれ (kare)	た (ta), たれ (tare) なにがし (nanigashi)	おの (ono)
Thing			こ (ko), これ (kore)	そ (so), それ (sore)	あ (a), あれ (are) か (ka), かれ (kare)	いづれ (izure) なに (nani)
Location			ここ (koko)	そこ (soko)	あしこ (ashiko) かしこ (kashiko)	いづこ (izuko) いづく (izuku) いどこ (idoko) どこ (doko)
Direction			こち (kochi) こなた (konata)	そち (sochi) そなた (sonata)	あち (achi) あなた (anata) かなた (kanata)	いづち (izuchi) いづら (izura) いづかた (izukata)
Manner			か (ka) かく (kaku) かくて (kakute) かう (kō)	さ (sa), さて (sate) しか (shika)		いか (ika)
Time						いつ (itsu)

Etymology 2

Reading of several Sino-Japanese words.

Noun

ここ (rōmaji koko)

1. 個々, 個個, 箇々, 箇箇: one by one; separately
2. 戸々, 戸戸: every house
3. 呱々, 呱呱: cry of a new-born baby