Japanese Lesson 50: This (general) 英語の「これ」

Japanese words you will need for this lesson:

カメラ
かめら
camera

去年
きょねん
last year

買う
かう
to buy

車
くるま
car

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this : これ

In the examples below, this means "this thing". It implies that it is a thing among many things.

これは私のカメラです。
これ　は　わたし　の　かめら　です。
This is my camera.
(This thing among all the things here is my camera.)

これを去年買った。
これ　を　きょねん　かった。
I bought this last year.
(I bought this thing, not that thing, last year.)
Note: in this situation you are showing the listener what you are talking about and your are talking about a new object that hasn't been talked about yet.

これはあなたの車ですか？
これ　は　あなた　の　くるま　です　か？
Is this your car?
(Is this thing your car?)

これは何ですか？
これ　は　なん　です　か？
What is this?
(What is this thing?)