Japanese demonstrative adjective corresponding to certain uses of the word "
this" or "
these" in
English.
Kono conveys the concept of "this thing" as opposed to "that thing", denoting an object that is closer to the speaker than the listener. Because it is an
adjective,
kono describes a following
noun. It opposes
ano and
sono. The
pronoun counterpart of
kono is
kore.
Kono kanji wa muzukashii desu ne.
This/These kanji are difficult, aren't they.
Note that as with similar words, kono is both plural and singular (this as well as these). See also ko-so-a-do.