Speakable Japanese

How to Say "That over there is" in Japanese: Distant Objects (Are wa ... desu)

Welcome to Speakable Japanese! In previous lessons, we learned to talk about things near you (これ) and near your conversation partner (それ).
In this lesson, we will expand our adventure map even further. You will learn to talk about items that are "far" from both you and your conversation partner. Let's master all three words and take another step toward mastering the Japanese language!

🎯 Lesson Goal

Learn to confidently point out and describe distant objects using the chunk 「あれは〇〇です」 (Are wa 〇〇 desu)!

Step 1 Discover

Let's look at how this is used in a real conversation. Two friends are looking at the scenery outside a window.

👦🏻
Riku

見て！あれは何ですか？

(Mite! Are wa nan desu ka? - Look! What is that over there?)

👩🏻
Mei

あれは病院です。

(Are wa byouin desu. - That over there is a hospital.)

💡

Did you notice?

Both Riku and Mei use "Are" (あれ) because the hospital is far away frombothof them. The particle "ka" (か) at the end of Riku's sentence makes it a question!

Step 2 The Pattern

Here is the basic pattern for talking about distant objects.

Basic Chunk

あれは です。

(Are wa desu.)

📏 Key Point 1: The Sense of Distance

Demonstrative pronouns are used based on distance:
• これ (kore): Close to the speaker.
• それ (sore): Close to the listener.
• あれ (are): Far from both the speaker and the listener.

🌟 Key Point 2: 'あれ (Are)' vs 'あの (Ano)'

あれ can be a subject on its own (e.g., あれはビルです - That is a building). However, あの must always be paired with a noun (e.g., あのビルはホテルです - That building is a hotel).

Step 3 Pattern Practice

Keep the chunk exactly the same, but swap the words in the blank. Read these out loud!

  • Station eki

    あれは 駅 です。

    (Are wa eki desu.)

  • University daigaku

    あれは 大学 です。

    (Are wa daigaku desu.)

  • Airport kuukou

    あれは 空港 です。

    (Are wa kuukou desu.)

Step 4 Make It Yours!

Imagine what you see from your room's window or what you saw on a trip, and create your own original sentences using the vocabulary below!

👉 あれは ITEM NAME です。

Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Buildings (建物)

  • ホテル hoteru (hotel)
  • ビル biru (building)
  • 銀行 ginkou (bank)
  • デパート depaato (department store)

Nature & Others (自然・その他)

  • 山 yama (mountain)
  • 海 umi (sea)
  • 飛行機 hikouki (airplane)
  • 船 fune (ship)

Bonus Go Beyond the Basics

What if you want to say "That is NOT a hospital"? Or what if you are talking to a close friend? Here’s a quick guide to leveling up your descriptive skills!

🙅‍♀️ 1. That is NOT... (Negative)

Basic / Formal

あれは病院 ではありません。

(Are wa byouin dewa arimasen.)

Casual (Friends)

あれは病院 じゃない。

(Are wa byouin ja nai.)

🤝 2. Friendly & Casual

Dropping "desu"

あれ、病院。

("Are, byouin." - simplified)

With friendly emphasis

あれは病院 だよ。

(Are wa byouin da yo.)

Summary Lesson Review

Distant Objects: Use あれは〜です (Are wa ~ desu) for objects far from both you and the listener.

Are vs Ano: あれ (Are) stands alone as a subject, while あの (Ano) must be paired with a noun (e.g., Ano biru).

Negative Form: Use ではありません (dewa arimasen) or the casual じゃない (ja nai) to say "is not".

Practice Drill

1 / X Polite

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