Lesson 3: Talk About Yourself (の・これ/それ/あれ・だ)

Particle の (Possession)

The particle の shows possession or a connection between two nouns. Think of it like "'s" in English or "of" in some contexts.

Example

How It Works

Understanding の is essential for expressing relationships between things in Japanese. Here are the main ways it's used:

Ownership

When you want to show that something belongs to someone, の connects the owner and the item. For instance,
これは私わたしのかばんです
– "This is my bag."
This is the most straightforward use of の.

Categorization

の can connect two nouns to show what category something belongs to. For example,
にほんの茶ちゃ
– "tea of Japan/Japanese tea."
This usage helps you describe things by their origin or type.

Description

の can also connect abstract concepts. For example,
がくせいの時とき
– "the time of being a student" or "when I was a student."
This allows you to create more complex descriptions.

Connection Between Nouns

の can link two nouns where the first noun describes the second. Here are some common patterns:

会社かいしゃの名前なまえ – "the company's name"
東京とうきょうの地図ちず – "a map of Tokyo"
日本にほんの会社かいしゃ – "a Japanese company"

This pattern is extremely versatile and you'll use it frequently in Japanese.

Cultural Note: In business settings, you'll often hear の used when exchanging business cards
名刺めいし.
For example,
"XYZ会社かいしゃの田中たなかです"
(I'm Tanaka from XYZ Company).

Demonstratives: これ・それ・あれ

Japanese has a clear system for pointing out things based on their distance from the speaker and listener. These words, called demonstratives, help you indicate exactly which object you're talking about.

Core Demonstratives

これ (kore) refers to something close to you, the speaker. You'll use it for objects within your reach or that you're holding.

それ (sore) refers to something close to the person you're talking to. It's perfect for pointing out objects near your conversation partner.

あれ (are) refers to things that are distant from both you and your listener. Use it for objects that neither person can easily reach.

Examples in Use

Formal Alternatives

In more formal or polite situations, you can use directional variants of these words.
こちらkochira・そちらsochira・あちらachira
follow the same proximity rules but sound more refined and are often used for locations or directions.

The こ・そ・あ・ど System

These demonstratives are part of a larger pattern in Japanese. Many words follow this こ・そ・あ・ど pattern:

Learning this pattern will help you quickly understand and remember many related Japanese words!

Basic Question Words: なに, だれ, どこ

Japanese question words are straightforward to use—you simply place them where you need unknown information and add か at the end to form a question. Let's explore the three most common question words:

なに (nani) - "What"

When you want to ask about things or objects, use なに. For example:
これは何なんですか？
It's one of the most frequently used question words in Japanese.

Quick Note: When なに comes before です or a noun starting with だ, て, な, it's usually pronounced "nan" instead of "nani". So これは何ですか is pronounced "kore wa nan desu ka".

だれ (dare) - "Who"

To ask about people, use だれ. You can combine it with の to ask about possession. For example:
それはだれのカバンですか？

どこ (doko) - "Where"

For asking about locations, use どこ. For example:
あなたの家いえはどこですか？

Common Question Patterns

Here are useful phrases with these question words that you'll use frequently:

何の本ほんですか？
(Nan no hon desu ka?)
"What kind of book is it?"

だれと行いきますか？
(Dare to ikimasu ka?)
"Who are you going with?"

どこから来きましたか？
(Doko kara kimashita ka?)
"Where did you come from?"

These question words become extremely natural to use with practice, and you'll find yourself using them frequently in daily conversations.

Continued Emphasis on は・が・も

We will revisit again the particles from Lesson 2, focusing on how they help us express personal information. Each particle has a distinct role in making your meaning clear.

は (wa): The Topic Marker

は introduces what you're talking about. For example:
私わたしは日本人にほんじんです。
This particle sets up the topic of your sentence.

が (ga): The Subject Emphasis

が emphasizes who or what you're talking about. For example:
私わたしが日本人にほんじんです。
This is useful when you need to be precise about who you're referring to.

も (mo): The Addition Marker

も means "also" or "too." For example:
私わたしも日本人にほんじんです。
It's a way to include yourself in a group or category that's already been mentioned.

Particles in Context

Let's see how these particles work in conversations about personal information:

Scenario: Talking about nationalities in a language class

Teacher:
田中たなかさんは日本人にほんじんです。
(Tanaka-san is Japanese.)
Student 1:
私わたしも日本人にほんじんです。
(I am also Japanese.)
Teacher:
誰だれが中国人ちゅうごくじんですか？
(Who is Chinese?)
Student 2:
私わたしが中国人ちゅうごくじんです。
(I am Chinese.)

Pro Tip: Think of が as a spotlight, は as an introduction, and も as a way to say "me too" or "that too." Each has its perfect moment to use.

(Optional) Plain Form Cameo: だ as the Plain Form of です

While です is the polite form used with nouns and adjectives, in casual speech, だ takes its place. This introduces you to the concept of speech levels in Japanese.

Example

だ creates a casual, friendly tone and is typically used with friends and family. It's the informal counterpart to です, but it's important to know when each is appropriate.

Plain Form vs. Polite Form

When だ Can Be Dropped

In very casual speech, だ is often omitted entirely:

• 私わたしは学生がくせい。 (I'm a student.)
• これは本ほん。 (This is a book.)

This is especially common in spoken Japanese among close friends.

Cultural Notes:
In everyday life, you'll often hear だ among peers. However, in business or when speaking to superiors, です remains the safer choice. Japanese has many levels of formality, and selecting the right one shows your social awareness and respect for others.

Putting It All Together: Introducing Yourself

We will now combine everything we've learned to create a more detailed self-introduction. In Japanese culture, being able to introduce yourself properly is essential for making a good impression.

Basic Self-Introduction

Expanded Self-Introduction

As you become more comfortable with Japanese, you can add more details about yourself using the grammar points from this lesson:

Practice Dialogue: Meeting a New Classmate

A: はじめまして。山田やまだです。どうぞよろしく。
(Nice to meet you. I'm Yamada. I look forward to working with you.)

B: はじめまして。佐藤さとうです。よろしくお願ねがいします。山田やまださんは何年生なんねんせいですか？
(Nice to meet you. I'm Sato. I look forward to working with you too. What year are you in, Yamada?)

A: 私わたしは2年生ねんせいです。佐藤さとうさんは？
(I'm a second-year student. How about you, Sato?)

B: 私わたしも2年生ねんせいです。専攻せんこうは何なんですか？
(I'm also a second-year student. What's your major?)

A: 私わたしの専攻せんこうは経済学けいざいがくです。
(My major is economics.)

B: そうですか。私わたしは国際関係こくさいかんけいです。
(I see. Mine is international relations.)

Try practicing this dialogue with a partner, substituting your own information!