ここ、そこ、あそこ、どこ

ここ, そこ and あそこ are "here", "there" and "over there", and どこ asks "where". They are これ, それ and あれ for places, with the same three distances.

• ここ – here, where the speaker is
• そこ – there, where the listener is
• あそこ – over there, away from both
• どこ – where

The third word is あそこ. The other three are こ, そ and ど with こ added, but ×あこ is not a word.

ここ or この

ここ is a place and stands alone. To say "this room" or "this book", the word is この: このへや部屋, このほん本. ×ここ部屋 is wrong.

With particles

All four are nouns, so they take the particle a place name would take: に for where something is or where you are going, で for where something is done, から for "from".

With の they describe a noun by its place.

Usage notes

These go beyond pointing at a place you can see.

Places you cannot see

In conversation, そこ is a place one of you has just mentioned and the other does not know. あそこ is a place you both know.

A point rather than a place

ここ and そこ can also point at a part of what is being discussed – a spot on a page, a step in an explanation.

こちら, そちら, あちら, どちら