あの: “that” before a noun, and a gentle conversation opener

あの has two common jobs that look identical in writing. Before a noun, it means “that...” and points to something away from both people or already known to both. Spoken on its own, often as あのう, it can gently open a conversation or give the speaker a moment to find the next words.

あの before a noun

The demonstrative あの must be followed by a noun. Use あれ when the thing stands alone.

In both examples, the noun names the thing being indicated. The thing is treated as distant from both speaker and listener.

Here, the distance is shared memory rather than physical space. Both people are expected to know which 話(はなし) the speaker means.

Think of demonstrative あの as a pointer attached to a noun. The pointer cannot float by itself. あの店(みせ) points to a shop; あれ points to the thing without naming it.

あの as an interjection

At the beginning of a request, あの or the lengthened あのう gently gets the listener’s attention.

This use does not point to a distant noun. It prepares the interaction and can sound hesitant, careful, or polite. In the middle of an explanation, it can also hold the speaker’s turn while they search for words.

Match the amount of hesitation

A single あのう before approaching a stranger is natural. Repeating あの every few words can make the speaker sound uncertain or unprepared. In formal communication, the surrounding request still needs polite grammar; the interjection does not make a blunt sentence respectful by itself.

Use the next sound as your clue. If a noun follows, あの is a demonstrative modifier. If there is a pause, すみません, or a request, it is probably the conversational opener. The grammar and intonation separate the two jobs.