means "that … over there" and comes in front of a noun:
is "that house over there", and an adjective can sit between them, as in
. It points at something away from both you and the person you are talking to.
It is one of a set of four:
- – this …, near the speaker
- – that …, near the listener
- – that … over there, away from both
- – which …
。
That house over there is big.
。
Is that car over there expensive?
。
That person over there is a teacher.
あの vs. その
English "that" covers both. is near the listener, and is away from both of you.
。
Is that bag yours, Tanaka?
。
Is that mountain over there Mt. Fuji?
あの vs. あれ
stands alone, the way "that one over there" does.
needs its noun.
。
What is that over there?
。
What is that building over there?
Usage notes
These go beyond pointing at a thing you can see.
Something you both know
also points at something you and the listener both know from before – a place you went together, a person you have both met. Nothing has to be in sight.
。
That restaurant was good, wasn't it?
If only one of you knows the thing, use instead.
きごう「、。きごう」きごう「。きごう」
"I went to a new restaurant yesterday." "Where is that restaurant?"
あの as "um"
or
at the start of what you say, with no noun after it, is a hesitation sound. It gets someone's attention politely.
Lingaku