ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ
here, there, over there, where
ここ / そこ / あそこ / どこ
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Places follow the same こ・そ・あ・ど pattern:
- ここ: here, near me
- そこ: there, near you
- あそこ: over there, away from both of us
- どこ: where?
They're nouns, so they take particles: ここに座ってください, "please sit here"; どこへ行きますか, "where are you going?"
A politer set, こちら・そちら・あちら・どちら, literally "this way, that way", is used for directions and in polite speech: お手洗いはあちらです, "the restrooms are that way". You'll hear it constantly in shops and stations.
As with これ and それ, the line between そこ and あそこ is about the listener: somewhere near them, or somewhere they just mentioned, is そこ.
Examples
駅はどこですか。
Where's the station?
トイレはあそこです。
The toilet's over there.
ここはどこですか。
Where are we?
そこは危ないですよ。
It's dangerous where you are!
私の家はここから近いです。
My house is close to here.
すみません、どこで買いましたか。
Sorry, where did you buy it?