あちら

あちら
pronoun
over there (polite)
politedirection
1. over there (polite)
A polite demonstrative for a direction or location far from both speaker and listener.
トイレはあちらです。
The restroom is over there.
Common in service contexts
あちらでお待(ま)ちください。
Please wait over there.
あちらの出口(でぐち)からお出(で)ください。
Please exit from that door over there.
駅(えき)はあちらに歩(ある)いて五分(ごふん)ぐらいです。
The station is about a five-minute walk in that direction.
あちらに見(み)える高(たか)い建物(たてもの)が私(わたし)たちのホテルです。後(あと)でご案内(あんない)いたします。
That tall building you can see over there is our hotel. I will show you there later.
2. that person (polite)
A polite way to refer to a third party.
あちらはどなたですか。
Who is that person (over there)?
Polite reference to a person
あちらが社長(しゃちょう)です。
That person is the company president.
あちらに聞(き)いてください。
Please ask that person.
あちらは今日(きょう)初(はじ)めていらっしゃったお客様(きゃくさま)です。
That person is a customer who came for the first time today.
あちらは山田(やまだ)先生(せんせい)の奥様(おくさま)で、去年(きょねん)まで大学(だいがく)で教(おし)えていらっしゃいました。
That person is Professor Yamada's wife, who was teaching at the university until last year.

あちら is the polite form of あそこ (over there), part of the こそあど demonstrative system.

KO-SO-A-DO SYSTEM (polite):

  • こちら: here, this way (near speaker)
  • そちら: there, that way (near listener)
  • あちら: over there (far from both)
  • どちら: where? which way?

Functions

1. Direction/location: トイレはあちらです (The restroom is over there)
2. Polite person reference: あちらの方(かた) (that person)

Usage

Commonly heard in service environments—department stores, hotels, restaurants. Using あちら instead of あそこ shows politeness to customers.
When referring to people, using あちら alone or あちらの方(かた) is polite. あの人(ひと) is more casual.

Related Words

Keigo: あそこ (plain equivalent)
Related: こちら (this way (polite))
Related: そちら (that way, near listener (polite))
Related: どちら (which way (question, polite))
Related: 向(む)こう (over there, opposite side)
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:46 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:31
00500/00913_achira