Module 4: KSAD (ko-so-a-do) Pattern
Overview
Module 4 intends to provide students basic knowledge about the KSAD (Ko-So-A-
Do) Pattern of the Japanese Language. As students complete this module, they are
expected to recognize the differences in the usage of this sentence pattern and use it in
basic sentences.
Objectives:
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Recognize the different sets of KSAD sentence pattern;
2. Identify the proper usage of the sentence pattern; and
3. Use the correct patterns in different contexts.
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Module 4: KSAD (ko-so-a-do) Pattern
Discussion
In the English language, what do we do when we want to talk about things that
we do not know the names of? We use the words “this thing,” “that one,” “over there,”
and other similar words. In Japanese, we use kore, sore, and are. This came from what
is called the “KSAD pattern” which is composed of the following prefixes: ko, so, a, and
do. The word “re” is added to make each prefix a functional word.
Words that Point
KSAD pattern set 1: kore, sore, are, dore
English translation Romaji Hiragana Location
this one Kore Near the speaker
that one Sore near the listener
that one (over there) Are far from both
Which one? Dore unknown
Use kore to point to something that is near you as a speaker. Meanwhile, use
sore to refer for something close to the person you are talking to. If you pertain an object
that is neither close to the speaker nor the listener, use are.
To illustrate, study the figure below:
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Module 4: KSAD (ko-so-a-do) Pattern
Figure 1. A situation that illustrates the use of kore, sore, and are.
Source: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Genki by Banno et al (2011
Look at the following examples:
English Translation Romaji
How much is this? Kore wa ikura desu ka.
That is my house. sore wa watashi no ie desu.
Which one is her car? dore ga kanojo no kuruma desu ka.
In a conversation:
Excuse me. How much is this? Sumimasen. Kore wa ikura desu ka.
That is 3,000 yen. Sore wa sanzen en desu.
A man finds a wallet on the ground:
Whose wallet is this? Kore wa dare no saifu desu ka.
It is my wallet. Watashi no saifu desu.
Arigatoo gozaimasu. Thank you very much
KSAD pattern set 2: kono, sono, ano, dono + noun
English translation Romaji Hiragana Location
this [something] kono Near the speaker
that [something] sono near the listener
that [something] over there ano far from both
(over there)
Which [something] dono unknown
If you want to be a more specific than kore, sore, and are, use kono, sono, and
ano together with a noun (Note here that the re series must always stand alone, while
the no series must always be followed by a noun).
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Module 4: KSAD (ko-so-a-do) Pattern
For example:
In re series, you will say:
English Translation Romaji
How much is this? Kore wa ikura desu ka.
In no series, you can say
English Translation Romaji
How much is this watch? Kono tokee wa ikura desu ka.
If the watch is being held by a person you are talking to, you can say:
English Translation Romaji
That watch is 3,000 yen. Sono tokee wa sanzen en desu.
Meanwhile, if it is far from both the speaker and listener, you can say:
English Translation Romaji
That watch over there is 3,500 yen. Ano tokee wa sanzengohyaku en desu.
If you already know that one of the several watches is 3,500 yen but you do not know
which one, you can say:
English Translation Romaji
Which watch is 3,500 yen? Dono tokee ga anzengohyaku en desu ka.
Note: Dono, just like dore, is followed by a particle ga (instead of wa) since they are
both question words.
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Module 4: KSAD (ko-so-a-do) Pattern
KSAD pattern set 3: koko, soko, asoko, doko
Koko, soko, asoko, and doko are used to refer to places.
English translation Romaji Hiragana Location
this [something] koko ここ Here/near the speaker
that [something] soko そこ There/near the listener
that [something] over there asoko あそこ over there
(over there)
Which [something] doko どこ where
You can ask for directions by saying:
English Translation Romaji
Excuse me. Where is the post office? Sumimasen. Yuubinkyou wa doko desu
ka.
If you are close by, you can point toward the post office and say:
English Translation Romaji
(The post office is) right over there. (Yuubinkyoku wa) asoko desu.
Other examples:
English Translation Romaji
Here is his school. koko wa kare no gakkou desu.
There is my house. soko wa watashi no ie desu.
Over there is my company. asoko wa watashi no kaisha desu.
Where is her house? Doko ga kanojo no ie desu ka.
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Module 4: KSAD (ko-so-a-do) Pattern
Practice Exercise:
References
Banno, E. et al. (2011). An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Genki . Japan:
The Japan Times.
Chino, N. 1991. All about particles. Tokyo: Kodansha
International. Hiroo Japanese Center. 1989. The complete Japanese verb guide.
Hokkaido Daigaku. 1993. Elementary Japanese grammatical notes.
Mine, M. 1994. Nihongo kiso (Basic Japanese for foreign students). Hiroshima:
Hiroshima University.
Suzuki, M & Richey,M. (2016). Your Step-by-step Jikoshoukai Guide. Retrieved from
[Link]
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