The Meaning of ka no tokoro [彼処] In Japanese

彼処
かのところ
Romaji: ka no tokoro N/A

What does 彼処 mean?

Translation and Meaning

that place, there

Definition

What does 彼処 mean? It denotes ‘that place; there’ in archaic or literary Japanese, used to refer to a distant or previously mentioned location. It is not common in modern everyday language.

Type

Noun (古語・文語)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • That place, there as a demonstrative noun in classical or literary Japanese
  • Distance or remoteness nuance, often with a formal or poetic tone
  • Rare in contemporary speech, sometimes used for stylistic effect in poetry or historical fiction

Etymology

kun’yomi readings: 彼 = かの, 処 = ところ; the compound combines two kun readings to yield the pronunciation かのところ (ka no tokoro), producing a classical locative meaning.

Origin

Used in classical Japanese, appearing in literature from ancient to medieval periods, especially in prose and waka to refer to a distant or previously mentioned locale.

Composition

  • 彼 = demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘that’
  • 処 = place or location; here used as ‘tokoro’ meaning place

Usage

Primarily found in formal, literary, or historical contexts. In modern discourse it is mostly reserved for stylistic writing or quotes from older texts. Examples in Japanese include 彼処へ行く and 彼処にあった, which illustrate its use with motion and static location respectively.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine pointing to a distant spot and saying ‘that place’—the 彼 signals ‘that’, and 処 signals ‘place’, together forming a poised, literary ‘that place’.

Variations

  • あのところ (ano tokoro) — modern equivalent meaning ‘that place’
  • そこ / そこら (soko / sokora) — more common everyday alternatives for ‘there’
  • かの場所 (kano basho) — literary variant

Example Phrases

  • 彼処のカフェで今日も混んでるね。
    kano tokoro no kafe de kyou mo konderu ne
    That cafe over there is crowded today as well.
    Lista:
    • 彼処 (kano tokoro) – that place
    • の (no) – of
    • カフェ (kafe) – cafe
    • で (de) – at / in
    • 今日 (kyou) – today
    • も (mo) – also / too
    • 混んでる (konderu) – is crowded
    • ね (ne) – right?
    In this sentence, 「彼処」 means ‘that place’ and adds a slightly literary/archaic nuance.
彼処