also: そん
pre-noun adjectival
Pre-noun demonstrative in the そ-series: used for something near the listener, something just mentioned, or something associated with the listener's words, actions, or understanding. It must directly modify a noun, unlike それ.
その本を少し見せてください。
Please show me that book for a moment.
昨日話していたその店に行ってみたい。
I want to try going to that shop we were talking about yesterday.
pre-noun adjectival
Used before a number in titles, lists, or headings, as in その一, その二, meaning 'part one,' 'part two,' and so on.
旅行記その三では、京都の宿を紹介します。
In part three of the travel notes, I introduce the inn in Kyoto.
interjection
Only with reading その
Spoken hesitation filler, used before saying something difficult, uncertain, or delayed. This sense is restricted to the reading その and is normally written in kana.
その、少しお願いがあるんですが。
Um, I have a small favor to ask.
その、何と言えばいいか分かりません。
Uh, I don't know how to put it.
This is the matching pre-noun demonstrative for something near the speaker, while その points to something near the listener or already mentioned.
This points to something distant from both speaker and listener, or mutually known from the past; その is closer to the listener or discourse context.
This is the interrogative pre-noun form meaning 'which'; その is the corresponding non-question form meaning 'that/the.'
それ is a pronoun that can stand alone as 'that'; その must come before a noun, as in その本.
Native Japanese demonstrative in the こ・そ・あ・ど system. The kanji spelling 其の conventionally represents this word, but modern Japanese normally writes it in kana as その.