GrammarJLPT N5
→ like that
Like That / In That Way (Distant from Both Speaker and Listener)
JLPT N5AdverbCasual spoken
ああ is a demonstrative adverb belonging to the こそあど (ko-so-a-do) system of Japanese. Specifically, it is the あ-series member, which refers to a manner, state, or way of doing something that is distant from both the speaker and the listener — either physically far away, or referring to something both parties already know about from shared past experience. It translates roughly as "like that" or "in that way" and modifies verbs to describe how an action is performed or how a state exists. It contrasts with こう (like this — near the speaker), そう (like that — near the listener or just mentioned), and どう (how — interrogative). While あのように carries a similar meaning, ああ is more colloquial and direct. Because ああ always points to something removed from the immediate conversational space, it is frequently used when recalling or commenting on something both the speaker and listener have witnessed or experienced before.
Examples
Example #1
あの人はああやるんだ。
Here ああ points to a manner of doing something that is spatially or conceptually distant from both the speaker and listener. The speaker is observing someone far away and commenting on the way they perform an action. Since both speaker and listener can see what is being referred to, ああ works as a shared reference to that distant manner.That person does it like that.
Structures
- Modifying a verb
- ああ + Verb
- With する
- ああ + する (to do like that)
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing ああ with そう. Learners often use そう when the referent is distant from both speaker and listener, but in such cases ああ is more appropriate because そう points to something near the listener or something just mentioned in conversation. Another frequent error is confusing the adverb ああ with the interjection ああ (meaning "ah" or "oh"), which is a completely different word used to express emotion. Additionally, some learners try to use ああ with nouns directly (e.g., ああ人), but it should modify verbs; for nouns, use あんな or あのような instead.
Related
こうそうどうあのようにそのように