这个 / これ mean more "this" whereas 那个 / それ or あれ mean more "that" (with a finer distinction in the Japanese). Their meanings are relative to the speaker - there i

这个 / これ mean more "this" whereas 那个 / それ or あれ mean more "that" (with a finer distinction in the Japanese). Their meanings are relative to the speaker - there is no absolute definite article. (I'll say too, even these relative specifiers were seldom used in classical Chinese.)