あれ

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
彼 彼れ

From older kare → are. Compound of あ (a, “that, yon”) +‎ れ (-re, nominalizing suffix for demonstratives).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あれ [àré] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ɾe̞]

Pronoun

あれ • (are) 

1. distal demonstrative, something far off removed from both speaker and listener: that, yon
   1. (deictically) that one over there (far from the speaker and the addressee)
   2. (anaphorically) that one we both know (both the speaker and the addressee know)
2. (chiefly derogatory) third-person personal pronoun: he, she, that person
3. you-know-what; a thing whose name the speaker do not want to mention
   1. sex
   2. cockroach
4. (archaic) second-person pronoun: you

Usage notes

• Indicates something far off, removed from both speaker and addressee. Contrast with それ (sore), indicating something removed from the speaker but closer to the addressee.

See also

Japanese demonstratives

	ko- “this” (close to speaker)	so- “that” (close to listener)	a- “that over there” (far from both)	do- “which” (indeterminate, question)
Object	これ (kore)	それ (sore)	あれ (are)	どれ (dore)
	これら (korera)	それら (sorera)	あれら (arera)	—
Determiner	この (kono)	その (sono)	あの (ano)	どの (dono)
	これらの (korera no)	それらの (sorera no)	あれらの (arera no)	—
Kind	こんな (konna)	そんな (sonna)	あんな (anna)	どんな (donna)
	こういう (kō iu)	そういう (sō iu)	ああいう (ā iu)	どういう (dō iu)
Place	ここ (koko)	そこ (soko)	あそこ (asoko)*	どこ (doko)
	こっから (kokkara)	そっから (sokkara)	—	どっから (dokkara)
Direction / Human	こちら (kochira)	そちら (sochira)	あちら (achira)	どちら (dochira)
	こなた (konata)	そなた (sonata)	あなた (anata)	どなた (donata)
Direction	こっち (kotchi)	そっち (sotchi)	あっち (atchi)	どっち (dotchi)
Human	こいつ (koitsu)†	そいつ (soitsu)†	あいつ (aitsu)†	どいつ (doitsu)†
Manner	こう (kō)	そう (sō)	ああ (ā)**	どう (dō)
Degree	これくらい (kore kurai)	それくらい (sore kurai)	あれくらい (are kurai)	どれくらい (dore kurai)
	これだけ (kore dake)	それだけ (sore dake)	あれだけ (are dake)	どれだけ (dore dake)
	これほど (kore hodo)	それほど (sore hodo)	あれほど (are hodo)	どれほど (dore hodo)
* irregular ** regular (long vowel) † potentially rude or derogatory

The kanji 此(こ) (ko), 其(そ) (so), 彼(あ) (a), and 何(ど) (do) can be used for determiners, but they are almost always spelled in hiragana.

Classical Japanese pronouns and demonstratives

	a-/wa- “I, we” (first person)	na-/-ma- “you, ye, thou” (second person)	k- “this” (close to speaker)	s- “that” (close to listener)	a-/ka- “that over there” (far from both)	i-/ta-/nani- “who, what, where, how, when” (interrogative)	ono- “oneself” (reflexive)
Person	あ (a) あれ (are) わ (wa) われ (ware) まろ (maro)	な (na) なれ (nare) なんぢ (nanji) まし (mashi) いまし (imashi) みまし (mimashi) きみ (kimi)	こ (ko) これ (kore)	そ (so) それ (sore)	あ (a) あれ (are) か (ka) かれ (kare)	た (ta) たれ (tare) なにがし (nanigashi)	おの (ono) おのれ (onore)
Thing			こ (ko) これ (kore)	そ (so) それ (sore)	あ (a) あれ (are) か (ka) かれ (kare)	いづれ (izure) なに (nani)
Location			ここ (koko)	そこ (soko)	あしこ (ashiko) かしこ (kashiko)	いづく (izuku) いづこ (izuko) いどこ (idoko) どこ (doko)
Direction			こち (kochi) こなた (konata)	そち (sochi) そなた (sonata)	あち (achi) あなた (anata) かなた (kanata)	いづち (izuchi) いづら (izura) いづかた (izukata)
Manner			か (ka) かく (kaku) かくて (kakute) かう (kō)	さ (sa) さて (sate) しか (shika)		いか (ika)
Time						いつ (itsu)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あれ [àré] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) あれ [áꜜrè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ɾe̞]

Interjection

あれ • (are) 

1. huh? (expression of surprise and confusion when talking to yourself)

See also

• あら (ara)
• あらまあ (aramā)
• あらら (arara)
• あれれ (arere)
• え (e)

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of あれ – see the following entry.

【荒れ】 [noun] stormy weather, tempest; chaps (of skin)

(This term, あれ (are), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as あれ, see Category:Japanese kanji read as あれ.)

Etymology 4

Alternative spellings
吾 我

The long form of あ (a, “I, me”). From あ (a) +‎ れ (-re, nominalizing suffix)

Fell into disuse in roughly the Heian period, when it was replaced by われ (ware).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あれ [àré] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠ɾe̞]

Pronoun

あれ • (are) 

1. (obsolete) first-person personal pronoun: I, me
   • c. 1001–1014, Murasaki Shikibu, Genji Monogatari (Yume no Ukihashi)

     ...と、聞こえ動かして、几帳のもとに、おし寄せたてまつりたれば、あれにもあらず、居給へるけはい...

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

References

• Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 1: Man’yōshū 1 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 1999, →ISBN.
• Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 3: Man’yōshū 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 2002, →ISBN.
• Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 4: Man’yōshū 4 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 2003, →ISBN.