JLPT N5 · Sentence patterns
あの (ano)
あの＋名詞 — “that ～ (over there)”
In short · あの points to a thing or person that is far from both the speaker and the listener. It always comes directly before a noun. The set is この (near me), その (near you), あの (far from both), どの (which).
Pattern
-
あの＋名詞that ～ over there (あの山, あの人) -
あの＋名詞＋は／の＋名詞あの棚のお菓子 (the sweets on that shelf)
Distance
Use あの for things far from both people: あの山, あの人. If the thing is close to you, use この; if it is close to the listener, use その.
Always with a noun
あの cannot stand alone. To point to the thing itself, use あれ (that one). あの本 = that book; あれ = that one.
Another use
あの is also a filler when you start talking: あの、すみません (um, excuse me). It then has no distance meaning.
Examples
-
あの たなの おかしを ください。
Ano tana no okashi o kudasai.
Please give me the sweets on that shelf (over there).
-
あの山（やま）はとても高（たか）いです。
Ano yama wa totemo takai desu.
That mountain over there is very tall.
-
あの人（ひと）は先生（せんせい）です。
Ano hito wa sensei desu.
That person over there is a teacher.
Common mistakes
- あの needs a noun after it. Say あれはなんですか, not あのはなんですか.
- Do not mix up あの (far from both) and その (near the listener).
More grammar points
- だ / です だ / です — “A is B”
- でも でも — “but / however” at the start of a sentence
- どんな どんな～ — “what kind of ～”
- どうやって どうやって～ — asking “how / by what means”
- があります ～があります — “there is ～” (things)
- がほしい ～がほしい — “I want ～”
- がいます ～がいます — “there is ～” (people and animals)
- い-adjectives い-adjectives — adjectives ending in ～い
- 一緒（いっしょ）に 一緒に～ — “together (with)”
- じゃない・ではない ～じゃない / ～ではない — the negative of だ and です
- か～か A か B — “A or B”
- けど ～けど — casual “but / although”
- けれども ～けれども — a polite “but / although”
- な-adjectives な-adjectives — take な before a noun
- なる ～になる — “to become ～”
- んです ～んです — explaining the situation
- に行（い）く ～に行く — “go to do ～”
- にする ～にする — deciding on / choosing something
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