彼の（あの）: meaning, usage, and natural word choice

彼(あ)の is a real dictionary spelling, not a printing error, but it is rare. In the entry represented here, the reading is あの, the ordinary demonstrative normally written in kana. Modern JMdict explicitly marks 彼の as a rare kanji form and marks the word itself as usually written in kana. For everyday “that N” phrases, write あの N.

The advanced problem is not the basic meaning of あの. It is resolving the same characters without silently choosing the wrong word. 彼(かれ)の can be the common phrase 彼 plus the particle の, meaning “his.” かの is a separate pre-noun expression that can mean “that well-known” or serve as a formal, literary counterpart of あの. Dictionaries now give demonstrative あの and literary かの separate JMdict sequence numbers. The hesitation word あの, as in “um” or a gentle conversation opener, is separate again.

Three checks keep the readings apart. First, look for furigana or an explicit dictionary headword. Second, ask whether 彼 can refer to a previously identified man; if so, かれの is a normal grammatical parse. Third, test the register. A phrase such as かの有名な belongs readily in elevated narration, while a text message pointing out a photo normally uses あの写真. Context decides the reading, but kana makes the intended everyday word visible immediately.

An old caption reaches the editing desk

Kana and Jun are preparing labels for a neighborhood archive exhibition. A scanned caption from an older booklet prints 彼の above a photograph and supplies the reading あの. Kana records what the source actually says.

This is one of the limited situations where preserving 彼の as あの has a purpose. The display is discussing a source spelling, and the reading is stated. The unusual form becomes evidence about the text rather than a learner's decorative substitute for kana.

For the new visitor label, Jun chooses the unambiguous modern form.

The label means “that photograph,” so あの写真 is natural and easy to read. The rare kanji spelling adds no useful information. This remains true in ordinary messages and notes: write あの建物, あの店, and あの話 rather than converting あの to 彼の.

The same characters produce “his”

Jun then finds a modern draft with no furigana: 彼の写真は受付の横にあります. The previous sentence names photographer Sato, so the grammar supplies a different reading.

Here 彼 is a third-person pronoun and の links him to 写真. The phrase is かれの写真, “his photograph.” Nothing in the sentence asks the reader to retrieve the rare あの spelling. This is why 彼の写真 is a poor everyday way to write demonstrative あの写真: the ordinary “his photograph” analysis is already available.

A short noun phrase can even remain ambiguous without context. 彼の作品 might theoretically be read as rare あの作品, literary かの作品, or the productive phrase かれの作品. Rather than guessing from the characters alone, inspect the source, neighboring sentences, furigana, date, and register. In your own modern prose, use kana to prevent the problem.

A plaque calls for かの

One exhibition panel deliberately imitates elevated historical narration. Its opening celebrates a cinema that once stood nearby.

かの有名な is an established kind of formal or literary phrasing. JMdict separates this かの from entry 1000420 and gives it its own entry, including the “that well-known” sense. The form may appear as 彼の in dictionary or historical material, but writing かの makes the intended reading clear to a modern visitor.

At the information desk, another identical-sounding word appears, but it does not modify a noun or refer to the old cinema.

The pause after あの and the request that follows identify a conversation opener. It is not the rare spelling 彼の, not possessive かれの, and not literary かの. In speech, grammar and intonation do the separating; in writing, the comma helps show the pause.

The practical rule is asymmetrical. When reading, keep three candidates open until context resolves 彼の: rare あの, ordinary かれの, and literary かの. When writing ordinary modern Japanese, remove the puzzle. Use あの for the demonstrative, 彼の for the genuinely possessive phrase when 彼 is natural, and かの when you intentionally want the formal or literary word.