これ・それ・あれ・どれ
This / that / that over there / which onemachine translation
FormationUsed on its own as a noun (これは〜です)
A set of words that point to things by distance: これ points to something near the speaker, それ to something near the listener, あれ to something far from both, and どれ asks "which one" when choosing among three or more things.
All four stand alone as nouns: これは本です. To say "this book" (attached to a noun), you must switch to この・その・あの — you never say これ本.
When the speaker asks これは何ですか, the listener usually answers with それ (since the thing is near the person answering) — the two sides see the distance differently.
Examples
これは私の傘です。
This is my umbrella.
それは何ですか。
What is that?
あれは田中さんの車です。
That over there is Tanaka's car.