あそこ
Over there
Structure
Place separated from both the speaker and the listener
Explanation
Similar to ここ and そこ, the word あそこ is used to indicate a specific location. あそこ points to a location that is distant from both the person speaking and the person listening. In English, this is often expressed as 'that place over there'. あそこ can refer to both concrete, physical spots and more abstract, figurative ones.
- あそこの公園は静かだ。That park over there is quiet. (Not near the speaker or listener)
- あそこは危ないよ。That place is dangerous, you know. (Not near the speaker or listener)
Just as あれ can refer back to a previously discussed item, あそこ can refer back to a location that was talked about earlier. In contrast to それ or そこ, this usage of あれ and あそこ implies that both the speaker and the listener share a personal experience or deep familiarity with the subject.
- あそこもきれいだったね。That place was beautiful too, wasn't it? (A place from a shared memory that both speaker and listener are familiar with)
Caution
It is important to distinguish あそこ from あっち, another word that can be translated as 'over there'. あっち generally indicates a direction or a general area, whereas あそこ specifies a particular location or spot.
Examples
あそこが遠い。
That place over there is far.
あそこも新しい。
That place over there is also new.
こことあそこ。
Here and that place over there.
あそこが明るい。
That place over there is bright.
あそこの公園。
The park over there.
あそこも有名ですか。
Is that place over there famous too?
あそこはにぎやか。
That place over there is lively.
あそこの駅は近い。
The station over there is close.
あそこも暗い。
That place over there is dark too.
そことあそこは便利です。
That place and that place over there are convenient.
あそこも猫が多いです。
There are a lot of cats over there too.
あそこは図書館です。
That place over there is a library.