こちら
Japanese
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 此方 |
Etymology
From こち (kochi, “this direction (or person)”) + 等 (-ra, suffix of rough indication or approximation).
Pronunciation
Pronoun
Usage notes
- The alternative kanji spelling is rarely used.
- The usage as a pronoun is often used in impersonal settings with an indeterminate number of people being referred to. For example, when a single speaker is speaking for his entire company on a phone or in negotiations.
Derived terms
Proverbs
- あちら立てればこちらが立たぬ (achira tatereba kochira ga tatanu)
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) |
| こういう (kō iu) | そういう (sō iu) | ああいう (ā iu) | どういう (dō iu) | |
| Place | ここ (koko) | そこ (soko) | あそこ (asoko)* | どこ (doko) |
| こっから (kokkara) | そっから (sokkara) | — | どっから (dokkara) | |
| Direction / Human | こちら (kochira) | そちら (sochira) | あちら (achira) | どちら (dochira) |
| こなた (konata) | そなた (sonata) | あなた (anata) | どなた (donata) | |
| Direction | 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) |
| Degree | これくらい (kore kurai) | それくらい (sore kurai) | あれくらい (are kurai) | どれくらい (dore kurai) |
| これだけ (kore dake) | それだけ (sore dake) | あれだけ (are dake) | どれだけ (dore dake) | |
| これほど (kore hodo) | それほど (sore hodo) | あれほど (are hodo) | どれほど (dore hodo) | |
| * irregular ** regular (long vowel) † potentially rude or derogatory | ||||