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Grammar detail: それ, その

それ, その  that, that (object)
264 words
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それ
+
は〜
means
that
その
+
noun
means
that (object)
それ and その are words typically encountered in the early stages of learning Japanese.
They look similar, but they are used in slightly different ways. Both それ and その refer to things that are close to the listener, or already known to both speaker and listener.
それ - that
それ is a demonstrative pronoun used when referring to an object close to the listener, without naming the object. It is often, but not always, followed by the particle は when it is used as the subject or topic of a sentence.
それ
なに
です
What is it?
それ
わたし
ではありません
It isn't mine.
それ
にほん
日本
もの
です
Is it Japanese food?
その - that (object)
その is a demonstrative adjective. It points to a specific object.
その comes directly before the noun (object).
そのカバン
せてください

Please show me that bag.
わたし
その
くるま
った

I bought that car.
かのじょ
彼女
その
はな
とても
だいじ
大事
している
She has been cherishing that flower.
それ, その - when 'that' is already known to the speaker and listener
When used this way, それ and その may be translated to 'the' in English, as we see in the third and fourth examples below.
それ
やす
です
That's cheap, isn't it?
それたいへん
はなし

That's quite a story.
その
はなし
っています

I have heard the story.
その
まち
とお
です
It is long way to the town.
それ and その meaning 'those'
The plural form of それ is それら, but in everyday Japanese, それ is more commonly used—even when talking about more than one item.
その
でんしゃ
電車
さんぷん
3分
おきにでています
Those trains run every three minutes.
その
しゃしん
写真
せて
くだ
さい

Let me have a look at those photos.
そのほん
わたし
です
Those books are mine.
その
とうじ
当時
わたし
もっと
はや

In those days, I went to bed earlier.
その
とき
- 'that time'
literally means “that time” and is used to refer to a specific moment in the past, present, or future that is already known from the conversation or context.
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Kanji used in this grammar

ジ   とき time, occasion   
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カ   なに    なん what?   
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シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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ニチ   ジツ   sun; day   ひ    -か    
ホン   book   もと origin   
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ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   く to eat   
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ブツ   モツ   もの thing   
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ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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シャ   くるま car   
バイ   か to buy   
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ヒ   かれ he   
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ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
カ   はな flower   
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ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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ジ   ズ   こと thing; matter   
アン   やす peaceful; cheap   
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ワ   はな to talk   はなし talking   
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チ   し to know   
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チョウ   まち town   
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エン   オン   far away   とお far   
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デン    electricity   
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ブン   ブ   フン   わける to divide, to distinguish   わかる to understand   わかれる to be divided   わかつ to share, distribute   
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シャ   photo   うつ to duplicate, to depict   うつ to be photographed   
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シン   truth   ま exactly; deep   
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カ   ゲ   した below, under   しも bottom part   もと under (influence)   さげる to lower, to reduce   さがる to be lowered   くだ to descend   くだ to judge   くださる to give   おろす to drop off (passenger)   おりる to get off (train)   
トウ   あてる    あたる to hit   
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ソウ   サッ   early; fast   はや early   はやまる be hasty   はやめる to expedite, to hasten   
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シン   ねかす to lay down   ね to sleep, to lie down   
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