People all over the world say ‘this’ or ‘that’ depending on whether an object is within reach or further away, study finds

Whether you say “this” or “that” may seem to be neither here nor there.

But, it’s helpful for someone helping their partner with a recipe or craft, if they ask you to pass them “that nail” or “that sharp knife,” they probably mean a knife they can’t reach.

If they ask for the item, they point to a tool or tool close enough that they can get it themselves.

The rule that “this” generally means something close, and “that” means something far away, seems to apply no matter where you are in the world, based on a new study of 874 people speaking 29 different languages.

The researchers asked people to describe different shapes placed on a table using sentences such as “that red circle” or “that green star.”

The experiment found that the word “this,” or its equivalent in another language, was used 74% of the time when the shape was within touching distance (stock image)

Pictured is Professor Kenny Coventry who led the study at the University of East Anglia

The experiment found that the word “this,” or its equivalent in another language, was used 74% of the time when the shape was within touching distance.

But it was used in only 8% of cases when the object was out of reach.

Professor Kenny Coventry, who led the University of East Anglia study, said: “The words ‘this’ and ‘that’ may seem basic, but they are extremely important.

They may have been among the first words created by ancient humans, who needed to inform others about this or that predator, or food source.

“It’s helpful in everyday life, when working with someone else to cook a meal or do some crafts, to know that when they ask for ‘that’ knife, they probably mean a knife they don’t have access to.”

The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, involved 45 international academics studying English, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Japanese and Mandarin.