hanamaru
Refer to a thing near the listener as a pronoun
それ is a standalone pronoun meaning 'that thing' near the listener, often marked by the topic particle は (pronounced wa).
JLPTN5
それ + はsore wa ~ desu
that thing (near you) is ...
Example Sentence
Unlike その, それ replaces a noun entirely rather than modifying one, so it stands on its own as the subject or topic. It refers to something physically or conversationally close to the listener, or to what the other person just said. Pair it with は to set it up as the topic of the sentence.
