こんな・
こんな and こういう go before a noun: "a … like this", "this kind of …". Each comes in a set of four like これ・それ・あれ・どれ, and どんな asks "what kind of". こんなに says how much: "this big", "so much".
What kind of music do you often listen to?
This is my first time using this kind of tool.
This cake isn't that sweet.
Before a noun
こんな／こういう + noun
Straight before the noun, or before the adjective on it: こんな店, こういう静かな店. いう sounds like "yuu".
Before an adjective or a verb
こんなに + adjective／verb
こんなに安い, this cheap. そんなに食べる, eat that much.
| Before a noun | How much | |
|---|---|---|
| こ | こんな | こんなに |
| そ | そんな | そんなに |
| あ | あんな・あ | あんなに |
| ど: asking | どんな | どんなに〜ても: no matter how |
To ask how much, it is どのくらい.
Which of the four
こんな and こういう are for what you have in front of you or are showing. そんな and そういう pick up what the other person has, or what has just been said.
I'm looking for a desk shaped like this.
Said while showing a picture.
Starting next month, I'm planning to get up at five every morning and study.
Keeping up that kind of routine every day will be hard.
あんな and ああいう need something you both see or both remember. If only one of you knows it, it is そんな or そういう.
Do you remember the shop that used to be in front of the station? I like that sort of shop.
どんな: what kind of
どんな asks for a description. どの asks which one.
What kind of shoes would you like?
The answer is a kind: black ones, something for walking.
Which pair of shoes would you like?
The answer picks a pair: these.
What is the new teacher like?
About a person or a place, English asks "what is … like?".
こんな or こういう?
Often either will do. こういう and its set are the calm ones. They name a kind, and they suit explaining and polite talk.
It is better to think through this kind of problem slowly on your own.
That is one way of looking at it.
こんな, そんな and あんな are more direct, and they are the ones that can carry a feeling: surprise, or a low opinion of something. So about a person, ああいう人 is safer than あんな人.
This is the first time I have seen such a large rainbow.
I'm not going to a shop like that again.
どういう is the one for asking someone to explain: what a word means, or what is going on.
What does this word mean?
What do you mean by that?
In formal speech and writing both sets become このような. Shop staff say どのような for どんな.
What kind of bag are you looking for?
Phrases you'll hear
そんなことないですnot at all
No, not at all.
The modest answer to a compliment.
どんな感じwhat is it like?
What is the new job like?
こんな時間this late; this early
Sorry to bother you at this hour.
こんなに: this much
This is the first time I've had ramen this good.
こんなおいしいラーメン is said too.
Why are you in such a hurry?
With a negative, そんなに is "not that", "not so".
That bag must have been expensive.
No, it wasn't that expensive.
Close neighbours
こ・そ・あ・どN5
The same four in their other shapes. こう goes with a verb: how something is done.
Please press the button this way.
あまり〜ないN5
The plain "not very". そんなに〜ない is less than you expected, or than someone said.
That movie wasn't very interesting.
Check yourself
1What is this asking?
どんな
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
今日の
Choose an answer to see why.
3A friend tells you about a quiet café she found. You have never been there. You say:
私も
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
こんなふうに
こんなふうに and こういうふうに go with a verb: "in this way".
Please write it like this.
こんなの
In casual talk の can stand in for the noun: "one like this".
This is the first time I've seen one like this.
どんな本 or 何の本?
What kind of book is it?
Interesting, difficult, long.
More sentences
With shoes this light, I could probably walk for a long time.
That's the first time I've heard anything like that.
So there's a way like that too.
I would like to live in a quiet town like that.
What kind of work would you like to do in the future?
I like reading books in quiet places like this.
I think that kind of opinion is important too.
When I was a child, I often rode old trains like those.
What was the new shop's atmosphere like?