Happy Sunday Japanophiles, Herewith is the 53rd issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter — your Weekly Dose of Japan!

We're diving into the informal and sometimes rough-sounding pronouns こいつ (koitsu), そいつ (soitsu), あいつ (aitsu), and どいつ (doitsu).

These words belong to the こそあど言葉 (ko-so-a-do words) family and are mainly used to refer to people in a casual or blunt way.

Let’s break it down!

Informal Japanese Pronouns: こいつ・そいつ・あいつ・どいつ (Koitsu, Soitsu, Aitsu, Doitsu) from tofugo.com

These words indicate proximity:

• こいつ (koitsu) – Refers to someone close to the speaker. ("This guy/girl/person.")

• そいつ (soitsu) – Refers to someone close to the listener. ("That guy/girl/person.")

• あいつ (aitsu) – Refers to someone distant from both. ("That guy/girl/person over there.")

• どいつ (doitsu) – The question form. ("Which one of these guys?")

⚠️ Be careful! These words can sound rude or rough, so they should only be used among close friends or in informal situations.

💡 Understanding こそあど Words

Japanese has four basic directional prefixes:

• こ (ko-) – Close to the speaker.

• そ (so-) – Close to the listener.

• あ (a-) – Far from both.

• ど (do-) – Used for questions.

For example, if referring to objects:

• これ (kore) = This (near me)

• それ (sore) = That (near you)

• あれ (are) = That over there

• どれ (dore) = Which one?

🤝 Politeness Levels

🚨 こいつ, そいつ, あいつ are not polite. Use こちら (kochira) or この方 (kono kata) when speaking politely.

🔹 Using These Words in Sentences

For People

✅ こいつは誰だ？(Koitsu wa dare da?) → Who is this guy? ✅ そいつとあいつを連れて行け。(Soitsu to aitsu o tsurete ike.) → Take that guy and that guy over there with you. ✅ どいつが大人しそうだった？(Doitsu ga otonashisō datta?) → Which guy seemed well-behaved?

⚠️ These sentences can sound rude, so use them carefully!

For Multiple People

✅ すいません、そいつら俺のダチなんです。(Suimasen, soitsura ore no dachi nan desu.) → Sorry, those guys are my friends.

(Adding 〜ら (-ra) makes it plural!)

For Animals

✅ こいつ、ミルクが好きなんだ。(Koitsu, miruku ga suki nan da.) → This little guy likes milk.

(Can sound affectionate when used for pets!)

For Objects

✅ よし、こいつを洗ったらお終いだ！(Yoshi, koitsu o arattara owarida!) → Alright, I’m done after washing this guy!

(Personifies objects in a comical way!)

For Situations

✅ こいつはマズイことになったぞ。(Koitsu wa mazui koto ni natta zo.) → This situation has turned bad. ✅ そいつは大変でしたね。(Soitsu wa taihen deshita ne.) → That sounds really tough.

(A gruff way to refer to events!)

📖 Beyond the Basics

Talking About Someone Who’s Not Present

✅ その時、あいつがコケちゃってさ。(Sono toki, aitsu ga kokechatte sa.) → That’s when he fell down.

(あいつ (aitsu) is often used for shared memories!)

Old-Fashioned Versions

📜 こやつ (koyatsu), そやつ (soyatsu), あやつ (ayatsu), and どやつ (doyatsu) are old-fashioned versions used in historical dramas and samurai movies!

Common Expressions

🔹 どいつもこいつも！ (Doitsu mo koitsu mo!) → "All of these guys!" (Used when frustrated.) 🔹 あいつめ！ (Aitsu me!) → "That bastard!" (Used jokingly or angrily.)

✨ Wrap-Up

こいつ, そいつ, あいつ, and どいつ are very informal and often sound rude if used in the wrong context.

Use them carefully! When in doubt, stick with これ (kore), それ (sore), あれ (are), and どれ (dore) for objects or この人 (kono hito), その人 (sono hito), あの人 (ano hito), and どの人 (dono hito) for people.

Hope this helps! じゃあ、またね！(Jā, mata ne!)

That’s all folks!

Let me know if you enjoyed this simple grammar run-through :)

Have a great Sunday!