あれ
That (over there)
Structure
Explanation
あれ is a Japanese pronoun (substitute noun) that means 'that', similar to これ and それ. The key difference is that あれ points to an item that is physically distant from both the person speaking and the person listening. For this reason, a more accurate translation is often 'that thing over there'.
- あれは、銀行です。That is a bank. (Far from both of us)
- あれは、郵便局です。That over there is a post office.
Caution
It's important not to confuse あれ with the interjection あれ, which is used to express surprise, like 'oh?' or 'huh?'. Although they are spelled the same, they are two separate words. You can distinguish them based on the situation and intonation. The interjection often has a questioning, upward inflection.
Examples
あれは何ですか？
What is that over there?
あれは病院です。
That over there is a hospital.
あれは図書館です。
That over there is the library.
あれは、私のカバンです。
That over there is my bag.
あれは、田中さんです。
That person over there is Mr. Tanaka.
あれも犬です。
That over there is also a dog.
あれは、出口。
That over there is the exit.
あれは、駅です。
That over there is the station.
あれは、晩ごはん。
That over there is dinner.
あれも飲み物です。
That over there is also a drink.
あれは、高い。
That over there is expensive.
あれは、綺麗です。
That over there is beautiful.
あれは雑誌です。
That over there is a magazine.