Lesson 2: Demonstratives, Belongings & Grammar (第2課)

Part 1: Demonstratives (指示詞 — Kore, Sore, Are, Kono, Sono, Ano)

Ko-So-A-Do System: Physical & Psychological Distance Reference

Japanese demonstratives clearly distinguish whether the object is close to the speaker (Ko-), close to the listener (So-), far from both (A-), or unknown / question (Do-).

Ko-Series (Near Speaker)

kore / kono [Noun]

this / this [noun] here

So-Series (Near Listener)

sore / sono [Noun]

that / that [noun] near you

A-Series (Far From Both)

are / ano [Noun]

that / that [noun] over there

Do-Series (Question Word)

dore / dono [Noun]

which / which [noun]

Demonstrative Pronouns & Adjectives (Page 18)

Hiragana / Kanji	Romaji	Pronunciation	English Meaning
これ	kore	[koh-reh]	this (thing here near me)
それ	sore	[soh-reh]	that (thing near you)
あれ	are	[ah-reh]	that (thing over there, far from both)
この〜	kono ~	[koh-noh]	this ~, this ~ here (modifies noun)
その〜	sono ~	[soh-noh]	that ~, that ~ near you (modifies noun)
あの〜	ano ~	[ah-noh]	that ~, that ~ over there (modifies noun)

Part 2: Books, Stationery & Daily Belongings (文房具と持ち物)

Reading Material, Stationery & Accessories (Page 18)

Hiragana / Kanji	Romaji	Pronunciation	English Meaning
ほん (本)	hon	[hohn]	book
じしょ (辞書)	jisho	[jee-shoh]	dictionary
ざっし (雑誌)	zasshi	[zahs-shee]	magazine
しんぶん (新聞)	shinbun	[sheen-boon]	newspaper
ノート	nooto	[noh-toh]	notebook
てちょう (手帳)	techou	[teh-choh]	pocket notebook, planner, memo pad
めいし (名刺)	meishi	[meh-ee-shee]	business card (exchanged in etiquette)
カード	kaado	[kah-doh]	card (credit card, ID card)
テレホンカード	terehon kaado	[teh-reh-hohn kah-doh]	telephone card
えんぴつ (鉛筆)	enpitsu	[ehn-peet-soo]	pencil
ボールペン	boorupen	[boh-roo-pehn]	ballpoint pen
シャープペンシル	shaapu penshiru	[shah-poo pehn-shee-roo]	mechanical pencil, propelling pencil
かぎ (鍵)	kagi	[kah-gee]	key
とけい (時計)	tokei	[toh-keh-ee]	watch, clock
かさ (傘)	kasa	[kah-sah]	umbrella
かばん (鞄)	kaban	[kah-bahn]	bag, briefcase, satchel

Part 3: Electronics, Devices & Vehicles (電気製品と乗り物)

Appliances, Devices & Transport (Page 18)

Hiragana / Kanji	Romaji	Pronunciation	English Meaning
[カセット] テープ	[kasetto] teepu	[kah-seht-toh teh-poo]	[cassette] tape
テープレコーダー	teepu rekoodaa	[teh-poo reh-koh-dah]	tape recorder
テレビ	terebi	[teh-reh-bee]	television, TV
ラジオ	rajio	[rah-jee-oh]	radio
カメラ	kamera	[kah-meh-rah]	camera
コンピューター	konpyuutaa	[kohn-pyoo-tah]	computer
じどうしゃ (自動車)	jidousha	[jee-doh-shah]	automobile, car (also called kuruma 車)

Part 4: Room Furniture, Food & Languages (家具・食べ物・言語)

Office / Room Objects, Drinks & Language Suffixes (Page 19)

Hiragana / Kanji	Romaji	Pronunciation	English Meaning
つくえ (机)	tsukue	[tsoo-koo-eh]	desk
いす (椅子)	isu	[ee-soo]	chair
チョコレート	chokoreeto	[choh-koh-reh-toh]	chocolate
コーヒー	koohii	[koh-hee]	coffee
えいご (英語)	eigo	[eh-ee-goh]	the English language
にほんご (日本語)	nihongo	[nee-hohn-goh]	the Japanese language
〜ご (〜語)	~go	[goh]	~ language (e.g. Furansu-go, Doitsu-go)
なん (何)	nan	[nahn]	what (interrogative pronoun)

Part 5: Expressions & Polite Dialogue Terms (会話の表現)

Everyday Conversational Phrases, Offers & Gift Giving (Page 19)

Hiragana / Japanese	Romaji	Pronunciation	English Meaning
そう	sou	[soh]	so, like that
ちがいます。 (違います。)	Chigaimasu.	[chee-gah-ee-mahs]	No, it isn't. / You are mistaken.
そうですか。	Sou desu ka.	[soh dehs kah]	I see. / Is that so?
あのう	anou	[ah-noh]	well... (used to show polite hesitation)
ほんのきもちです。 (ほんの気持ちです。)	Hon no kimochi desu.	[hohn-noh kee-moh-chee dehs]	It's nothing. / Just a token of my gratitude.
どうぞ。	Douzo.	[doh-zoh]	Please. / Here you are. (when offering something)
どうも。	Doumo.	[doh-moh]	Well, thanks. / Much obliged.
[どうも] ありがとう [ございます]。	[Doumo] arigatou [gozaimasu].	[doh-moh ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mahs]	Thank you [very much].
これからお世話になります。	Korekara osewa ni narimasu.	[koh-reh-kah-rah oh-seh-wah nee nah-ree-mahs]	I hope for your kind assistance hereafter.
こちらこそよろしく。	Kochirakoso yoroshiku.	[koh-chee-rah-koh-soh yoh-roh-shee-koo]	I am pleased to meet you too. (response to douzo yoroshiku)

Part 6: Complete English Grammar & Sentence Structures (6 Core Rules, Pages 22–23)

1 kore / sore / are (Demonstrative Pronouns) "This (near me)", "That (near you)", "That (over there)"

Sentence Structure Formula

[kore / sore / are] + wa + [Noun] + desu.

Meaning: "This / That / That over there is [Noun]."

[kore / sore / are] + wa + [Noun] + desu ka?

Meaning: "Is this / that / that over there [Noun]?" (Question form)

[kore / sore / are] + o + kudasai.

Meaning: "Please give me this / that." (Shopping / Request)

How to Build the Sentence (Step-by-Step):

Step 1: Choose pronoun based on distance: kore (near speaker), sore (near listener), or are (far from both).
Step 2: Add topic particle wa (pronounced "wa", written as は).
Step 3: State the noun object (e.g. jisho = dictionary, hon = book).
Step 4: Finish with desu. (statement) or desu ka? (question).

Demonstrative Pronoun Usage:

kore, sore, and are are demonstrative pronouns. They stand on their own as complete noun subjects and represent physical things. Their choice depends directly on physical distance from the speaker and listener:

kore (This): Refers to an object close to the speaker.
sore (That): Refers to an object close to the listener.
are (That over there): Refers to an object far away from both the speaker and listener.

Japanese (Body Practice)	Romaji	English Meaning	Audio
① それは辞書ですか。	Sore wa jisho desu ka?	Is that (near you) a dictionary?
② これをください。	Kore o kudasai.	I'll take this. (lit. Please give this to me.)

2 kono [Noun] / sono [Noun] / ano [Noun] (Demonstrative Adjectives) "This [Noun]", "That [Noun]", "That [Noun] over there"

Sentence Structure Formula

[kono / sono / ano] + [Noun] + wa + [Predicate / Owner's no] + desu.

Example: Kono hon wa watashi no desu. ("This book is mine.")

[ano] + [Person Noun] + wa + donata / dare + desu ka?

Example: Ano kata wa donata desu ka? ("Who is that person over there?")

Demonstrative Modifiers Attached to Nouns:

Unlike kore / sore / are which stand alone as complete noun subjects, kono, sono, and ano are demonstrative adjectives that must always be followed immediately by a noun. They modify physical things as well as people:

kono [Noun]: Refers to a thing or person close to the speaker (e.g. kono hon = this book).
sono [Noun]: Refers to a thing or person close to the listener (e.g. sono kaban = that bag near you).
ano [Noun]: Refers to a thing or person far from both the speaker and listener (e.g. ano hito = that person over there).

Japanese (Body Practice)	Romaji	English Meaning	Audio
③ この本はわたしのです。	Kono hon wa watashi no desu.	This book is mine.
④ あの方はどなたですか。	Ano kata wa donata desu ka?	Who is that person over there? (Polite)

3 sou desu / sou ja arimasen / chigaimasu Confirming or Denying Noun Identification Questions

Dialogue Response Structure

When asked: [Subject] wa [Noun] desu ka? ("Is that a [Noun]?")

[Affirmative Answer]: Hai, sou desu. ("Yes, it is.")

[Negative Answer (Standard)]: Iie, sou ja arimasen. ("No, it is not.")

[Negative Answer (Natural Native)]: Iie, chigaimasu. ("No, it differs / you are mistaken.")

[Correcting with the actual item]: Iie, [Actual Noun] desu. (e.g. Iie, techou desu. = "No, it's a pocket notebook.")

Answering Noun Questions without Repeating the Word:

When responding to a noun question (e.g. "Is that a telephone card?"), you use sou (meaning "so" or "that way") to confirm or deny without repeating the full noun predicate:

Hai, sou desu: Use when the statement is correct.
Iie, sou ja arimasen: Use to state "No, it is not so".
Iie, chigaimasu: In casual and polite daily conversation, native speakers most often say chigaimasu (from the verb chigau = to differ).

Japanese (Body Practice)	Romaji	English Meaning
⑤ それはテレホンカードですか。 …はい、そうです。	Sore wa terehon kaado desu ka? …Hai, sou desu.	Is that a telephone card? …Yes, it is. (lit. Yes, it is so.)
⑥ それはテレホンカードですか。 …いいえ、そうじゃありません。	Sore wa terehon kaado desu ka? …Iie, sou ja arimasen.	Is that a telephone card? …No, it isn't. (lit. No, it is not so.)
⑦ それはテレホンカードですか。 …いいえ、違います。	Sore wa terehon kaado desu ka? …Iie, chigaimasu.	Is that a telephone card? …No, you are mistaken / No, it isn't.

4 [Sentence 1] ka, [Sentence 2] ka? Alternative Choice Questions ("Is it A or B?")

Choice Question Structure

[Subject] wa [Option A] desu ka, [Option B] desu ka?

Example: Kore wa "kyuu" desu ka, "nana" desu ka? ("Is this a '9' or a '7'?")

Answer: [Chosen Option] desu.

Example: "Kyuu" desu. ("It is a '9'.")

Asking Choice Questions:

When presenting two or more alternatives to choose between, question particle ka is placed after each sentence clause: [Sentence 1] ka, [Sentence 2] ka?

Japanese (Body Practice)	Romaji	English Meaning	Audio
⑧ これは「９」ですか、「７」ですか。 …「９」です。	Kore wa "kyuu" desu ka, "nana" desu ka? …"Kyuu" desu.	Is this a "9" or a "7"? …It's a "9". (No "hai" / "iie")

5 [Noun 1] no [Noun 2] Topic Explanation ("Book on Computers") & Ownership ("My Bag")

Connecting Nouns with "no" (4 Key Structures)

Structure A: Topic / Content Explanation

[kore / sore / are] + wa + [Topic N1] + no + [Item N2] + desu.

Example: Kore wa konpyuutaa no hon desu. ("This is a book on computers.")

Structure B: Ownership / Possession

[kore / sore / are] + wa + [Owner N1] + no + [Item N2] + desu.

Example: Kore wa watashi no hon desu. ("This is my book.")

Structure C: Asking Whose Item It Is

[Subject] + wa + dare no + [Item N2] + desu ka?

Example: Are wa dare no kaban desu ka? ("Whose bag is that?")

Structure D: Noun Ellipsis (Omitting N2 when obvious)

[kono / sono / ano] + [Noun 2] + wa + [Owner N1] + no + desu.

Example: Kono kaban wa Satou-san no desu. ("This bag is Ms. Sato's.")

Two Core Uses of the Particle "no":

In Lesson 1, particle no showed organizational affiliation (e.g. IMC no shain). In Lesson 2, two other crucial uses are introduced:

Topic Explanation: [Noun 1] explains the content or subject of [Noun 2] (e.g. jidousha no zasshi = a magazine on cars).
Ownership / Possession: [Noun 1] is the owner of [Noun 2] (e.g. watashi no hon = my book).

Japanese (Body Practice)	Romaji	English Meaning
⑨ これはコンピューターの本です。	Kore wa konpyuutaa no hon desu.	This is a book on computers. (Topic)
⑩ これはわたしの本です。	Kore wa watashi no hon desu.	This is my book. (Possession)
⑪ あれはだれのかばんですか。 …佐藤さんのです。	Are wa dare no kaban desu ka? …Satou-san no desu.	Whose bag is that? …It's Ms. Sato's. (kaban is omitted!)
⑫ このかばんはあなたのですか。 …いいえ、わたしのじゃありません。	Kono kaban wa anata no desu ka? …Iie, watashi no ja arimasen.	Is this bag yours? …No, it's not mine.
⑬ ミラーさんは IMCの社員ですか。 …はい、IMCの社員です。	Miraa-san wa IMC no shain desu ka? …Hai, IMC no shain desu.	Is Mr. Miller an employee of IMC? …Yes, he is. (Person noun NOT omitted!)

6 sou desu ka Acknowledging New Information ("I see" / "Is that so?")

Conversational Flow Structure

Step 1 (Speaker A gives new/corrected information): [Statement] (e.g. Iie, chigaimasu. Shumitto-san no desu.)

Step 2 (Speaker B acknowledges understanding): Sou desu ka. ↘ ("I see / Understood.")

Acknowledging Information (sou desu ka):

The expression sou desu ka is used when you receive new information that you did not know before, meaning "I see", "Is that so?", or "Understood."

Japanese (Body Practice)	Romaji	English Meaning	Audio
⑭ この傘はあなたのですか。 …いいえ、違います。シュミットさんのです。そうですか。	Kono kasa wa anata no desu ka? …Iie, chigaimasu. Shumitto-san no desu. Sou desu ka.	Is this umbrella yours? …No, it's not. It's Mr. Schmidt's. I see.

Part 7: Core Sentence Patterns (文型 — Bunkei, Page 20)

#	Japanese Pattern (文型)	Romaji	English Translation
1	これは辞書です。	Kore wa jisho desu.	This is a dictionary.
2	これはコンピューターの本です。	Kore wa konpyuutaa no hon desu.	This is a book on computers.
3	あれはわたしの傘です。	Are wa watashi no kasa desu.	That is my umbrella.
4	この傘はわたしのです。	Kono kasa wa watashi no desu.	This umbrella is mine.

Part 8: Practical Example Sentences (例文 — Reibun, Page 20)

Questions & Answers in Everyday Context

#	Japanese Dialogue (例文)	Romaji	English Translation
1	これはテレホンカードですか。 …はい、そうです。	Kore wa terehon kaado desu ka? …Hai, sou desu.	Is this a telephone card? …Yes, it is.
2	それはノートですか。 …いいえ、手帳です。	Sore wa nooto desu ka? …Iie, techou desu.	Is that a notebook? …No, it's not. It's a pocket notebook.
3	それは何ですか。 …名刺です。	Sore wa nan desu ka? …Meishi desu.	What is that? …This is a business card.
4	これは「９」ですか、「７」ですか。 …「９」です。	Kore wa "kyuu" desu ka, "nana" desu ka? …"Kyuu" desu.	Is this a "9" or a "7"? …It's a "9". (No "hai" / "iie" needed!)
5	それは何の雑誌ですか。 …自動車の雑誌です。	Sore wa nan no zasshi desu ka? …Jidousha no zasshi desu.	What is that magazine about? …It's a magazine on cars.
6	あれはだれのかばんですか。 …佐藤さんのです。	Are wa dare no kaban desu ka? …Satou-san no desu.	Whose bag is that? …It's Ms. Sato's bag.
7	この傘はあなたのですか。 …いいえ、わたしのではありません。	Kono kasa wa anata no desu ka? …Iie, watashi no dewa arimasen.	Is this umbrella yours? …No, it's not mine.
8	この鍵はだれのですか。 …わたしのです。	Kono kagi wa dare no desu ka? …Watashi no desu.	Whose is this key? …It's mine.

Part 9: Real Conversation: ほんの気持ちです (This is Just a Token, Page 20)

山田

Yamada (Inside Apartment)

はい。どなたですか。

Hai. Donata desu ka.

Yes. Who is it?

サントス

Santos (At the Door)

408のサントスです。

Yon-maru-hachi no Santosu desu.

I am Santos from (apartment) 408.

サントス

Santos

こんにちは。サントスです。
どうぞよろしくお願いします。

Konnichiwa. Santosu desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Hello. I am Santos. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

山田

Yamada

こちらこそよろしく。

Kochirakoso yoroshiku.

The pleasure is mine.

サントス

Santos (Offering Gift)

あのう、これ、ほんの気持ちです。

Anou, kore, hon no kimochi desu.

Er, this is a little something... (lit. Just a token of my heart/gratitude)

山田

Yamada (Accepting with Gratitude)

あ、どうも… 何ですか。

A, doumo... Nan desu ka.

Oh, thank you... What is it?

サントス

Santos

コーヒーです。どうぞ。

Koohii desu. Douzo.

It's coffee. Please enjoy.

山田

Yamada

どうもありがとうございます。

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu.

Thank you very much.

Part 10: Reference Words: Top 20 Most Common Japanese Family Names (名前 — Namae, Page 21)

Japanese Surnames (Kanji, Furigana & Romaji)

Rank	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning / Origin Note
1	佐藤	さとう	Satou (Sato)	Most common surname in Japan (~2 million people)
2	鈴木	すずき	Suzuki	Second most common surname; lit. "bell tree"
3	高橋	たかはし	Takahashi	Lit. "high bridge"
4	田中	たなか	Tanaka	Lit. "middle of the rice field"
5	渡辺	わたなべ	Watanabe	Lit. "ferryside / to cross over"
6	伊藤	いとう	Itou (Ito)	Ancient Fujiwara clan branch name
7	中村	なかむら	Nakamura	Lit. "middle village"
8	山本	やまもと	Yamamoto	Lit. "base of the mountain"
9	小林	こばやし	Kobayashi	Lit. "small forest / grove"
10	斎藤	さいとう	Saitou (Saito)	Historical priestly/clan lineage
11	加藤	かとう	Katou (Kato)	Popular historical clan surname
12	吉田	よしだ	Yoshida	Lit. "lucky rice field"
13	山田	やまだ	Yamada	Lit. "mountain rice field" (Mr. Yamada in dialogue)
14	佐々木	ささき	Sasaki	Famous samurai clan surname
15	松本	まつもと	Matsumoto	Lit. "base of the pine tree"
16	山口	やまぐち	Yamaguchi	Lit. "mountain entrance"
17	木村	きむら	Kimura	Lit. "tree village"
18	井上	いのうえ	Inoue	Lit. "above the water well"
19	阿部	あべ	Abe	Traditional ancient Japanese surname
20	林	はやし	Hayashi	Lit. "forest / woods"

Business Card Etiquette (名刺交換 — Meishi Koukan)

When meeting business contacts for the first time in Japan, business cards (名刺 - meishi) are always exchanged first. Hold your card with both hands, bow slightly, turn it so the other person can read it, and state your name clearly: 「初めまして。どうぞよろしくお願いします。」 Never shove a business card into your back pocket!

Moving House & Neighbor Gifts (Hikkoshi no Aisatsu)

When moving into a new apartment or neighborhood in Japan, it is customary to visit your immediate neighbors (both sides, above, and below). You introduce yourself and present a small practical gift known as hon no kimochi (just a small token of gratitude / heart), such as coffee, hand towels, laundry soap, or sweets.

Lesson 2: Demonstratives, Belongings & Everyday Sentences

Continue to Lesson 3 (第3課)