Japanese word

あそこ

Pronunciation

Romajiasoko

Meaning

  • pronounover there

Example

駅はあそこです。eki wa a so ko de su

The station is over there.

Illustration for あそこ (over there)

More examples

あそこに新しい店があります。a so ko ni atara shi i mise ga a ri ma su

There is a new store over there.

Core concept

Points to a specific place that is away from both people in the conversation.

Common phrases

  • あそこにあるa so ko ni a ru

    be over there

  • あそこにいるa so ko ni i ru

    be over there

  • あそこに行くa so ko ni i ku

    go there

  • あそこから来るa so ko ka ra ku ru

    come from over there

Similar words

あちらachira: Points to a place away from both speakers and sounds polite or formal.
あっちatchi: Points to a place away from both speakers in informal conversation.

Definition in Japanese

話し手と聞き手の双方から遠い場所を指し示す語。hana shi te to ki ki te no sō hō ka ra tō i ba sho o sa shi shime su go

Word origin

あそこ (asoko) is a native Japanese compound of あ (a, "that") and そこ (soko, "there" or "that place"), giving it the sense of "that place over there."

Usage tips

  • The distance contrast among ここ (koko), そこ (soko), and あそこ (asoko) helps speakers show whether a place is near the speaker, near the listener, or far from both.

Word lists with this word