それら

The plural form of それ (that). Part of the ko-so-a-do demonstrative system: これら (these, near speaker), それら (those, near listener or previously mentioned), あれら (those, distant from both).

Usage

More common in written and formal Japanese than in everyday conversation. In casual speech, Japanese speakers tend to use それ without the plural marker, since Japanese nouns do not require number marking. それら is preferred when the writer wants to explicitly indicate plurality, especially in academic, legal, or official writing.

Common patterns

• それらの + noun: those (as a modifier)
• それらを + verb: those (as an object)
• それらは: those (as a topic/subject)

Related words

• これら: these — the plural of これ (near the speaker)
• あれら: those over there — the plural of あれ (distant)
• それぞれ: each one, respectively — related but means "each" rather than "those"