Point to a thing near you: これ

Mental Model: The Handheld Object (The Independent Pronoun)

The word これ is the foundational demonstrative pronoun of Japanese. It stands for an inanimate object that is physically close to or held by the speaker:

• An item you are holding in your hand: これは何ですか(これはなんですか) (kore wa nan desu ka): “What is this?”
• An item right in front of you on the dining table: これ、美味しい！(これ、おいしい！) (kore, oishii!): “This is delicious!”
• Pointing to an item on a menu: これをください: “This one, please.”

Unlike この (which requires a noun partner like この本), これ is an independent pronoun. It replaces the noun entirely and directly takes grammatical case particles:

• Topic (は): これは私のです(これはわたしのです): “This is mine.”
• Subject (が): これが一番安いです(これがいちばんやすいです): “This is the cheapest one.”
• Object (を): これを買います(これをかいます): “I will buy this.”
• Selection (に): これにします: “I'll decide on this one.”

The Fundamental Rule: Strictly Inanimate

In Japanese, the これ・それ・あれ triad is reserved strictly for inanimate objects, foods, and concepts.

Never use これ to point to a person! Pointing at a coworker or friend and saying *これはスミスさんです sounds like you are calling them a lifeless object. To introduce a person, always use こちら (polite) or この方(このかた) (kono kata):

• こちらはスミスさんです(こちらはすみすさんです): “This is Mr. Smith.”

The Menu & Shopping Lifeline

For travelers and new learners, これ paired with a finger point is the single most useful tool in Japan:

• これ、いくらですか: “How much is this?”
• これを二つお願いします(これをふたつおねがいします): “Two of these, please.”