GrammarJLPT N5
→ that
That / Those (over there)
JLPT N5Other (Pre-noun adjectival / Demonstrative)Neutral
あの is a pre-noun demonstrative adjective used to modify a noun, meaning "that" or "those" when referring to something that is far from both the speaker and the listener. It belongs to the ko-so-a-do (こそあど) system of Japanese demonstratives: この (this, near the speaker), その (that, near the listener), あの (that over there, far from both), and どの (which). Unlike the standalone pronoun あれ ("that thing"), あの must always be followed by a noun — it cannot stand alone. あの is also commonly used to refer to something that both the speaker and listener already know about from shared experience or common knowledge, even if the thing is not physically visible. This shared-knowledge usage is very frequent in everyday conversation.
Functions
#1 Pointing to something far from both speaker and listener
Structure
あの + Noun
あの山は富士山です。
Here あの is used to point to a mountain that is physically distant from both the speaker and the listener. This is the most basic spatial use of あの, contrasting with この (near the speaker) and その (near the listener). Because the mountain is far away from both people in the conversation, あの is the appropriate choice.That mountain over there is Mount Fuji.
Structures
- Noun modifier
- あの + Noun
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing あの with あれ. Remember that あの must always be followed by a noun (e.g., あの本), while あれ stands alone as a pronoun (e.g., あれは本です). Saying something like "あのはきれいです" is grammatically incorrect — you need either "あの花はきれいです" or "あれはきれいです." Another frequent error is mixing up あの with その. Use その when something is near the listener or was just mentioned by the listener, and use あの when it is far from both people or when referring to shared knowledge. Beginners also sometimes confuse the filler word あの (used like "um" or "well" to hesitate before speaking) with the demonstrative あの — these are different uses, though they sound identical.
Related
このそのどのあれあそこ