これ、それ、あれ、どれ

これ, それ and あれ mean "this", "that" and "that over there", and どれ asks "which one". They stand for a thing on their own, so a particle follows them directly.

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

それ or あれ

English "that" covers both. それ is for something near the person you are talking to; あれ is for something away from both of you, like a mountain you are both looking at.

これ or この

これ stands alone. In front of a noun the word is この: ×これ本.

どれ

どれ asks "which one" out of three or more; for a choice between two, the word is どちら. As the subject, どれ takes が, never は.

• × どれはあなたのペンですか → どれがあなたのペンですか

Usage notes

These go beyond pointing at a thing you can see.

Something just said

それ also points back to what the other person has just said.

Something you both remember

あれ names a thing both of you know from before, though it is not in sight.