これ

これ means "this" or "this one": a thing near you, the speaker. It is a noun, so は and the other particles follow it directly, and it never has a noun after it.

It is one of a set of four:

• これ – this, near the speaker
• それ – that, near the listener
• あれ – that over there, away from both
• どれ – which one

これ or それ

Japanese points with three words where English has two, and the word changes with the speaker. What is これ to you is それ to the person facing you, so a question with これ is often answered with それ.

これ or この

これ stands alone. To say "this book", with a noun following, the word is この.

Mixing the two is the usual mistake: ×これ本は面白いです and ×このは面白いです are both wrong.

With particles

を, も and が follow これ the same way は does.

Usage notes

These go beyond pointing at a thing you can see.

Not for people

これ is for things. Said of a person standing next to you it sounds rude, so say このひとこの人, or こちら when you introduce them. A person in a photo can be これ.