Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

そこ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

そこ

そ

こ

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

pronoun

there (near listener)

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a place relatively near the listener. Contrasts with ここ (near speaker) and あそこ (far from both).

See also: どこ · ここ · あそこ

そこに座すわってもいいですか。
May I sit there (near you)?

2

pronoun

Written forms

そこUsage100%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
其処そこUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.
ソコUsage<1%
其所そこ
rarely-used kanji form

there (place just mentioned); that place

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a place that was just mentioned in conversation or text.

昨日きのう、公こう園えんに行いきました。そこはとても静しずかでした。
I went to the park yesterday. That place was very quiet.

3

pronoun

then; that point

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a point in a conversation or story just raised; often used to comment on or continue from that point.

そこが問もん題だいなんだ。
That's the problem.

4

pronoun

archaic

Archaic pronoun for 'you', no longer used in modern Japanese.

古こ語ごでは「そこ」が「あなた」を意い味みすることがある。
In classical Japanese, そこ can mean 'you'.

Rarely used kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.

Kanji

其that
処dispose, manage, deal with
所place, extent

Similar words

ここ
Refers to a place near the speaker, while そこ is near the listener.
あそこ
Refers to a place far from both speaker and listener, while そこ is near the listener.
どこ
Interrogative 'where', while そこ is a demonstrative 'there'.

Etymology

Derived from the demonstrative そ (so-) combined with the locative suffix こ (ko). The exact historical development is uncertain, but it is part of the regular ko-so-a-do demonstrative system.