これ
kore[ko̞ɾe̞]
In Japanese, the English phrase 'it' is often expressed as これ (kore). Wiktionary also lists あれ (are).
Meaning: subject, inanimate thing (pron)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| これ | kore | [ko̞ɾe̞] (narrow) |
| あれ | are | [a̠ɾe̞] (narrow) |
The Japanese word for 'it' often functions as a demonstrative pronoun (this/that) rather than a neutral third-person pronoun as seen in English.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the proximity of the object. これ refers to an object close to the speaker, whereas あれ refers to an object far from both the speaker and the listener. For an object that is close to the listener but far from the speaker, the word それ is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
kore
Did you know?
- While これ and あれ refer to objects, Japanese often avoids using any word for 'it' entirely if the subject is already understood from the context.
- In Japanese, the word あれ can be used to refer to something both speakers know about but cannot remember the name of, acting like a 'thingamajig' or 'that thing'.
- The demonstrative あれ can be traced back to a historical form of the word 'I' or 'me' used in ancient Japanese. This form, あれ, was eventually replaced by the more common われ during the Heian period.
Examples in context
- これで最後だ。This is it.Tatoeba #2154938 by bunbuku, translation #54232 by CK
- これが欲しい。I want it.Tatoeba #3488059 by arnab, translation #1148324 by cntrational
- これください。I'll take it.Tatoeba #8583430 by bunbuku, translation #54925 by CK
- 247 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student is showing a new book to a friend.
- 大翔 Hirotoこれ、新しい小説なんだ。Kore, atarashii shousetsu nanda.This, it's a new novel.
- 陽葵 Himariこれ、とても面白そうだね。Kore, totemo omoshirosou da ne.This looks very interesting.
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、これ、すごく読みやすいよ。Un, kore, sugoku yomiyasui yo.Yeah, it's very easy to read.
- 陽葵 Himari今度、貸してほしいな。Kondo, kashite hoshii na.I'd like you to lend it to me sometime.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “it” translations and entries これ, あれ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries あれ, これ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
