Sometimes, you need to be specific about what you are talking about like: “This is my computer and this computer is very fast” or “That is the famous Mt Fuji and that mountain is very big.”

This is done by adding こko・そso・あa・どdo words in the sentence.

Examples

これkore はwa ははhaha のno コンピューターkonpyuutaa ですdesu。そしてsoshite、この konoコンピューターkonpyuutaaはwa とてもtotemo はやいhayai ですdesu。
This is my mother’s computer and this computer is very fast

あれare はwa ゆうめいyuumeiなna ふじさんhuji_san ですdesu。あのano やまyamaはwa とてもtotemo たかいtakai ですdesu。
That is the famous Mt Fuji and that mountain is very big.

それsoreはwa ジョンjonさんsanのno うたuta ですdesu。そのsono うたutaはwa とてもtotemo すてきsuteki ですdesu。

Exercise

Translate the following sentences into English.

1. あの かいだんは あぶない です。/Ano kaidan wa abunai desu.
   Stairs are dangerous.
2. この うた は いいです。/kono uta wa ii desu.
   This song is good.
3. インターネットは おそい です。/inta-netto wa osoi desu.
   Internet is slow.
4. きょうは くらい です。/kyou wa kurai desu.
   Today is dark. => It’s dark today.
5. パーティーは たのしい です。/pa-ti- wa tanoshii desu.
   Parties are fun.
6. しんかんせんは はやい です。/shinkansen wa hayai desu.
   Shinkansen trains are fast.
7. にほんごは むずかしい です。/nihongo wa muzukashii desu.
   Japanese is difficult.
8. さくぶんは やさしい です。/Sakubun wa yasashii desu.
   Essay writing is easy.
9. この しごとは たいへん です。/kono shigoto wa taihen desu.
   This job is hard.
10. あの みせは いつも* ひま です。/ ano mise wa itsumo* hima desu.
    That shop is always not busy.
11. べんきょうは いやです。/benkyou wa iya desu.
    Studying is disagreeable.
12. ちちは びょうき です。/chichi wa byouki desu.
    My father is ill.

Vocab

インターネット	the Internet
うた	song
かいだん	stairs
きょう	today
さくぶん	composition, essay writing
しごと	work, occupation, employment
しんかんせん	shinkansen bullet train
にほんご	the Japanese language
パーティー	a party
べんきょう	study
みせ	store, shop, establishment

いadjectives used to describe the topic

あぶない	dangerous, critical, watch out!
おそい	late, slow (usually not used in front of the noun it is modifying)
くらい	dark, gloomy
たのしい	enjoyable, fun
はやい	early
むずかしい	difficult
やさしい	easy, plain, simple

なadjectives used to describe the topic

いや	なadj	intolerable, unpleasant
たいへん	なadj	(situation is) difficult, hectic
ひま	なadj	free (time), leisure

nouns used to describe the topic

だいじょうぶ	safe, all right, O.K.
びょうき	illness, disease, sickness

Introducing other people

This pattern can be used to introduce other people but we can’t use これ or この to people, because it sounds like we are talking about “things” and they are not polite enough. We need to use politer version of these words.

When you introduce a person, you need to use the more polite version of こko・そso・あa・どdo words.

Examples

こちらkochira はwa ジョンjonさんsan のno おくさまoku_sama ですdesu。
This is John’s wife.

あちらachira はwa メアリーMeariiさんsan のno おとうさまotou_sama ですdesu。
That is Mary’s father.

そちらsochiraのno かたkataはwa おかあさまokaasama ですdesuかka。
Is that person your mother?
かたkata is a honorific way of calling a person.