あれ

あれ is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "that" or "that one (over there)". It refers to something that is far from both the speaker and the listener. It is part of the こそあど (ko-so-a-do) system of demonstratives in Japanese:

• これ – this (near the speaker)
• それ – that (near the listener)
• あれ – that over there (far from both)
• どれ – which one? (question)

Use あれ when pointing out or referring to something that is physically distant from both you and the person you are talking to.

あれ functions as a noun and can be used as a subject, object, or in other noun positions in a sentence.

あれ vs. それ

A common point of confusion is the difference between あれ and それ. Use それ when the object is close to the listener but far from the speaker. Use あれ when the object is far from both the speaker and the listener.

Referring to shared knowledge

あれ can also be used to refer to something both the speaker and listener know about from shared experience or memory, even if it is not physically visible.