N4 Reporting Speech

こ/そ/あ: meaning, usage and examples

こ/そ/あ means: to refer to things not visible to the speaker or the hearer.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. A:この話はなし、聞きいた？B:うん、聞きいた。

   A: Did you hear this story? B: Yes, I heard.

2. その件けんについて、後あとで話はなしましょう。

   Let's talk about that matter later.

3. 昨日きのうの映画えいが、あれはおもしろかったですね。

   That movie yesterday was really good, wasn't it?

4. A:駅えきの前まえに新あたらしい店みせができました。B:その店みせは何なにの店みせですか。

   A: A new shop opened in front of the station. B: What kind of shop is it?

When to use it

こ, そ and あ can point to things not in front of you, such as things in a conversation or memory. Use そ for something just mentioned, or something only one of you knows: A:山本やまもとさんという人ひとに会あいました。B:その人ひとはどんな人ひとですか. Use あ for something you and the listener both remember: 昨日きのうの映画えいが、あれはおもしろかったですね.

Nuance

Neutral. Using あ for something the listener does not know sounds odd, because あ assumes shared memory. こ can point to something the speaker is about to say or has just said and feels close to: この話はなしは秘密ひみつです. In writing, そ is the usual choice for what came before.

Compare

With visible things, こ/そ/あ is about distance: これ (near me), それ (near you), あれ (far from both). In conversation it is about knowledge: その人ひと (you mentioned him, I do not know him) vs あの人ひと (we both know him).

Tip: If the listener cannot know the thing, use そ. Save あ for "you know the one".