あれ
Meanings
The a-series demonstrative pronoun: something distant from both speaker and listener, or something both understand without naming directly.
What is that?
Did you finish that thing from yesterday?
Used for a person, typically an equal or inferior; it can sound blunt or overly familiar if used for someone who deserves respect.
That guy has been stubborn since way back.
Temporal use referring back to a known time or event, especially in expressions such as あれから, 'since then.'
Ten years have passed since then.
that place; that one over there
Can stand for a distant or indicated place when the place is understood from context; あそこ is the more explicit locative word for 'over there.'
The town where we will stay tonight is that one you can see over there.
down there; one's genitals
Colloquial euphemism for the genitals, often written アレ to emphasize vagueness or embarrassment.
The man vaguely said, 'It hurts down there.'
Colloquial euphemism for menstruation, often written アレ and used when the speaker does not want to say it directly.
I'm on my period today, so I'll skip swimming.
Expressions
- あれやこれやthis and that; one thing and another