GRAMMAR DETAIL

あの

that ... over there

Precedes a noun to indicate something far from both speaker and listener, or something known to both.

Examples

あの人は新しい先生です。

That person over there is the new teacher.

あの犬はとても元気ですね。

That dog over there looks very energetic, doesn't it?

あの建物が市役所です。

That building over there is city hall.

Structure: Place あの directly before a noun to point out its referent.
- あの人, あの建物
Basic usage: It refers to something far from both speaker and listener, or something known to both.

Compared with あれ
- Use a following noun, as in あの建物, while あれ points to a thing and functions as a noun itself. Do not freely omit the noun after あの.
Distance compared with その
- When pointing to visible things, その mainly indicates the listener's side, while あの indicates something away from both people. Distance is not measured solely from the speaker.
Shared memory
- あの映画 can recall a movie known to both people. It need not refer only to an object currently visible in the distance.