この

こ

の

Meanings

pre-noun adjectival

usually written using kana alone

Refers to something or someone close to the speaker, or ideas expressed by the speaker. The most basic demonstrative pre-noun adjective.

Usage patterns

この数すう〈時とき〉these past few ~ (days, years, etc.)
この数すう日じつ、忙いそがしくてほとんど眠ねむれていない。
These past few days I've been so busy I've barely slept.
このところthese days; lately
このところ、天てん気きがあまり良よくない。
The weather hasn't been very good lately.
この〈人ひと〉you, this (insulting term for a person)
この馬ば鹿か、何なにをやっているんだ！
You idiot, what are you doing!

Grammar

こ・そ・あ・どthis, that, that over there, whichN5

Kanji

此this, current, next
斯this, thus, such

Related words

こん
此 can function as an archaic pre-noun adjectival meaning 'this', while この is the standard modern form used before nouns.

Opposites

あのN5
あの points to something far from both speaker and listener, while この points to something near the speaker.

Don't confuse with

そのN5
この points to something near the speaker (or the speaker's own idea), while その points to something near the listener or already mentioned in conversation.
あのN5
この is used for something close to the speaker, whereas あの marks something distant from both speaker and listener, often shared background knowledge.
どのN5
この picks out a specific, known item near the speaker, while どの is the question form asking 'which one' among a set.

Word family

此この中じゅう
recently; not long ago; for a while recently
此この内うち
meanwhile; the other day; recently
此この君きみ
bamboo
此この糸いと
purple; violet

Written forms

このUsage100%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
此このUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; learners should use この.
こんUsage<1%
kana-only spelling
コノUsage<1%
斯このUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; learners should use この.

Etymology

Derived from the proximal demonstrative こ (ko) + the old possessive/genitive particle の (no). The kanji forms 此の and 斯の are historical and rarely used in modern Japanese.