JLPT N5 · Sentence patterns
そこ (soko)
そこ — “there (near the listener)”
In short · そこ is a place word for a spot near the listener (or a place just mentioned). The set is ここ (here), そこ (there, near you), あそこ (over there), どこ (where). It works like a noun and takes particles such as に, で, へ.
Pattern
-
そこ＋に／で／へin / at / to that place (そこに座る, そこで会う) -
そこ＋は／が／に＋ありますit is there (そこにあります)
Place near the listener
Use そこ for a place close to the person you are talking to: かばんはそこにあります (the bag is there, near you). For a place far from both, use あそこ.
Referring back
そこ also points to a place that was just mentioned: 駅に行きましょう。そこで会いましょう (Let’s go to the station. Let’s meet there).
Particles
Use に for where something is or someone sits (そこに座る), で for where an action happens (そこで会う), へ for a direction.
Examples
-
じゃあ、そこで 会（あ）いましょう。
Jaa, soko de aimashou.
Then let’s meet there.
-
そこに座（すわ）ってください。
Soko ni suwatte kudasai.
Please sit there.
-
かばんはそこにあります。
Kaban wa soko ni arimasu.
The bag is there.
Common mistakes
- そこ is for a place. For a thing, use それ; before a noun, use その.
- For a place far from both of you, use あそこ, not そこ.
More grammar points
- だ / です だ / です — “A is B”
- でも でも — “but / however” at the start of a sentence
- どんな どんな～ — “what kind of ～”
- どうやって どうやって～ — asking “how / by what means”
- があります ～があります — “there is ～” (things)
- がほしい ～がほしい — “I want ～”
- がいます ～がいます — “there is ～” (people and animals)
- い-adjectives い-adjectives — adjectives ending in ～い
- 一緒（いっしょ）に 一緒に～ — “together (with)”
- じゃない・ではない ～じゃない / ～ではない — the negative of だ and です
- か～か A か B — “A or B”
- けど ～けど — casual “but / although”
- けれども ～けれども — a polite “but / although”
- な-adjectives な-adjectives — take な before a noun
- なる ～になる — “to become ～”
- んです ～んです — explaining the situation
- に行（い）く ～に行く — “go to do ～”
- にする ～にする — deciding on / choosing something
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.