これは
kore wa
In Japanese, the phrase "this is" is translated as これは (kore wa).
Which one should you use?
Use それは to say "that is" when referring to something near the listener, and use あれは to say "that is" when referring to something far away from both the speaker and the listener.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial variation こっちゃ is often used in the Kansai region.
How do you pronounce it?
kore wa
Did you know?
- When using これは to identify a person, it can sound like you are treating them as an inanimate object unless you switch to the more polite こちらは.
- When used as an exclamation, これは! can be used to express surprise, similar to saying 'Well, look at this!' in English.
- If you are pointing at something someone else is holding, using これは can sometimes feel slightly rude because it implies the object is part of your own immediate space.
Examples in context
- これは変だ。This is weird.Tatoeba #2216603 by bunbuku, translation #1898083 by CK
- これは夢だ。This is a dream.Tatoeba #7136357 by Njohnston, translation #7136345 by eidoloy
- これは指輪。This is a ring.Tatoeba #12143105 by small_snow, translation #10735017 by ddnktr
- こちらは新しい書籍です。This is a new book.
- 555 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui shows Kenta a photo on her phone.
- 結衣 Yuiこれは私の猫です。Kore wa watashi no neko desu.This is my cat.
- 健太 Kentaかわいいですね！Kawaii desu ne!It's cute!
- 結衣 Yui名前はルナです。Namae wa Runa desu.Her name is Luna.
- 健太 Kentaいい名前ですね。Ii namae desu ne.That's a nice name.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
