こ・そ・あ と は・が (ko, so, a to wa, ga) — pointing words and は vs が in writing
「その母が」 or 「この母が」? 「店が」 or 「店は」? — in writing they follow their own rules.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
Get this and, reading the news, the new information jumps out by itself.
Meaning
- 「この・その・あの」 and 「は・が」 have been with you since N5 — no new grammar. But inside a passage they follow their own rules, and N1 「文章の文法」 asks about them again and again.
- First こ・そ・あ: to point back at something already said, writing mostly uses 「そ」, sometimes 「こ」; 「あ」 is a memory shared by speaker and listener (「あの店、まだあるかな」), so ordinary writing rarely uses it.
- 「その」 = the thing from the previous sentence; it also stresses something unexpected: 「いつも笑っている母。その母が泣き出した」.
- 「この」 = close, 'as if you were there' (「この日は快晴だった」), and when you re-name an earlier noun with a wider word (富士山 → 「この山」 — not その here).
- Now は・が: 「が」 = appearing for the first time, unknown to the reader; 「は」 = already mentioned or known to the reader.
- 「駅前に新しい店ができた。店長はネパール人だ」 — the shop is new, so が; 店長 belongs to that shop, so は even on first mention.
- News uses 「首相は…」 for someone everyone knows, は marks contrast, and が can return for something already mentioned when the story takes a new turn or reports news.
Watch out
「こんな・こういう」 can point forward to what you are about to say, but to take up the previous sentence as 'so', use 「そう」: 「本当にそうだろうか」 — not こう.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
彼はいつも遅刻ばかりしていた。その彼が、今では店長だ。
かれはいつもちこくばかりしていた。そのかれが、いまではてんちょうだ。
He was always late. And that very man is now the shop manager.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) Previous sentence = always late → now he's the manager, which nobody expected → to stress the surprise, 「その彼が」 (not この here).
先週、富士山に登った。この山は外国人にも大人気だ。
せんしゅう、ふじさんにのぼった。このやまはがいこくじんにもだいにんきだ。
Last week I climbed Mt. Fuji. This mountain is hugely popular with foreigners too.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 富士山 = a proper name → instead of repeating it, the broader word 「山」 → with 「この」 for that → it's already been mentioned, so 「は」.
駅前に新しいネパール料理の店ができた。店長はカトマンズ出身だそうだ。
えきまえにあたらしいネパールりょうりのみせができた。てんちょうはカトマンズしゅっしんだそうだ。
A new Nepali restaurant has opened in front of the station. The manager is apparently from Kathmandu.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) The restaurant appears for the first time → 「が」 → 店長 = the manager of that very restaurant (a related topic) → 「は」, even though it's the first mention.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「駅の近くに新しいパン屋_できた。その店_朝7時から開いている。」 — fill the blanks.
💡 Hint: First mention, then already mentioned.
The bakery appears for the first time → が; the second sentence talks about that same shop → は.
「母はいつも明るく、怒ったことがない。_母が、昨日初めて泣いた。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Something you would not expect from what came before.
Always-cheerful Mum cried — 「その」 stresses the unexpected. この is not used for this, and あの is for shared memories.
「日本語は三年で話せるようになると言う人がいる。本当に_だろうか。」 — fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Taking up the previous sentence as 'so'.
To take up the previous sentence in 「〜だろうか」, use 「そう」. こう points forward, ああ is conversational, どう is a question word.
Your score: /3