A little culture with Miyabi
Koko, Soko, Asoko and Doko: Places in Japanese
Learn here, there, over there and where in Japanese. Compare koko with kore and practice asking where the station, entrance or restroom is.
Language basics
ここ (koko) means here, そこ (soko) means there near the listener, あそこ (asoko) means over there away from both speakers, and どこ (doko) means where. These words refer to places. They are different from これ, それ and あれ, which refer to things.
Place words depend on the speakers
Use ここ for the place near you and そこ for a place near the person you are speaking to. あそこ points to a place farther from both of you. In a real conversation, gestures and shared context make the reference clear.
A place does not permanently belong to one word. If you walk across the room, the spot that was “over there” can become “here.” Practice with two people or two imagined positions so you learn the relationship, not a fixed distance measured in meters.
Ask where something is
駅はどこですか (eki wa doko desu ka) means “Where is the station?” トイレはどこですか (toire wa doko desu ka) asks “Where is the restroom?” Replace the noun before は to ask about another place.
A short answer could be あそこです (asoko desu), “It is over there.” If you need more detail, you may hear 右 (みぎ, migi, right), 左 (ひだり, hidari, left) or まっすぐ (massugu, straight ahead). Start by recognizing these before attempting longer directions.
Do not mix up koko and kore
これは何ですか (kore wa nan desu ka) asks “What is this?” about a thing. ここはどこですか (koko wa doko desu ka) asks “Where is this?” or “Where are we?” about a place.
If you are holding a ticket, これ can refer to the ticket. If you are pointing to your current position on a map, ここ can refer to the location. Using the right family of words makes the question easier to understand even when your sentence is short.
Practice with a room and a map
Place a card near you, one near a partner and one farther away. Point to the locations and say ここ, そこ and あそこ. Then point to the cards themselves and use これ, それ and あれ.
Next, open a simple map and ask 入口はどこですか (iriguchi wa doko desu ka, where is the entrance?). Answer while pointing. This small exercise connects the word to a visible reference, which is more useful than translating “there” without knowing who is standing where.