Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'over there' depends on the physical or psychological distance from both the speaker and the listener. The most common word is あそこ, but other expressions like 向こう and あちら are used in different contexts.
The speaker refers to a place that is distant from both themselves and the person they are speaking to.
The most common and neutral word for 'over there', used in everyday conversation. It refers to a place away from both speaker and listener.
There is a cat over there.
Over there is the post office.
A polite or formal version of あそこ. Often used in business settings or when speaking politely. Can also refer to a direction rather than a specific spot.
Means 'the other side' or 'beyond'. It implies 'over there' with a sense of across something, like a street, river, or boundary. More about the area beyond a reference point.
The speaker wants to draw attention to a precise spot that is away from both people.
Use あそこに to say 'at/in that place over there' when indicating location.
Who is that person standing over there?
Use あそこへ to indicate direction 'to over there'.
Let's go over there.
The speaker refers to a place that is far away and possibly out of sight.
あそこ simply points to a location away from both speaker and listener. 向こう implies 'the other side' of something, like a street or river, and often refers to a broader area.
A car is parked over there.
Please cross over to the other side.
そこ means 'there' (near the listener), while あそこ means 'over there' (away from both). Using そこ when you mean あそこ can cause confusion.
Is it there (by you)?
The restroom is over there.
Please go over there.
My house is over there, across the river.
Please have a seat over there.
The restroom is over there.
向こうに公園があります。
There's a park over there (on the other side).
Let's cross to the other side (over there).
What you can see over there is Mt. Fuji.
Is it over there?