GUIDED PATH · PHASE 5
Guided Japanese Course
A mastery path for complete beginners and technology professionals.
HOW THIS COURSE WORKS
Follow the path. Advance by mastery.
The primary path tells you what to do next. You can still open any available lesson, but completion is based on checkpoints rather than calendar days.
FULL TARGET CURRICULUM
Tracks 0–10
TRACK 1 · 1-13
This / That / Which / How Much
Use これ・それ・あれ and この・その・あの to identify objects by distance/context, plus どれ / どの and いくら.
- Core object/project nouns and X は Y です.
In meetings and technical work, people constantly point to screens, documents, devices, tickets, and options. Japanese demonstratives encode whose/which conversational space the item belongs to.
1. The こ・そ・あ・ど system encodes distance/context
こ- is near the speaker / in the speaker's sphere. そ- is near the listener or something just mentioned. あ- is away from both / mutually known but distant. ど- asks which/where.
2. これ・それ・あれ stand alone
These forms function like 'this/that one' and do not directly attach to a noun.
Natural: This is the specification.
Structure: As for this — specification — is.
Point to a document near you.
Natural: That is the test result.
Structure: As for that near you — test result — is.
The item is in the listener's sphere.
Natural: That over there is a server.
Structure: As for that over there — server — is.
Far from both speakers.
3. この・その・あの must modify a noun
Unlike これ, この cannot stand alone: この資料 = this document. The same こ/そ/あ distance logic remains.
Natural: this document
Structure: this — document
Near speaker.
Natural: that bug
Structure: that-near-you — bug
Listener/context side.
Natural: that meeting room over there
Structure: that-over-there — meeting room
Physically distant.
4. Ask which one and how much
どれ asks 'which one?' by itself; どの must modify a noun: どの資料. いくら asks 'how much?' and is useful for prices/costs.
Natural: Which one is it?
Structure: which-one — is — question?
Choose among visible items.
Natural: Which document is it?
Structure: which — document — is — question?
Noun follows どの.
Natural: How much is this?
Structure: As for this — how much — is?
Price question.
5. Desk / screen pointing drill
Place or imagine five objects around you. Write sentences with これ, それ, あれ, この, その, あの, plus two questions with どれ/どの. Draw a tiny speaker/listener map beside each to justify the choice.
INTERACTIVE WORKSHEET
5. Desk / screen pointing drill
Create 8 demonstrative sentences/questions and sketch the spatial/context relationship that makes each こ/そ/あ choice correct.
Tip: on a foldable or tablet, use your pen directly on the page. Your strokes are saved in this browser as you work.
5. Desk / screen pointing drill
Create 8 demonstrative sentences/questions and sketch the spatial/context relationship that makes each こ/そ/あ choice correct.
6. Debug demonstratives in Language IDE
Swap only the demonstrative while keeping the noun constant so you feel the contextual change.
Language IDE
Why here: The こ/そ/あ/ど family is systematic and ideal for controlled substitution.
How to use it for this lesson: Build この資料です. Swap この→その→あの→どの and explain how speaker/listener/question context changes.
Debug demonstratives →Mastery checkpoint
Answer from memory. Use the explanations after checking to debug any miss before moving on.
