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ちなみに、あれは (by the way, that is/was...)

Grammar & Usage

fixed expression

neutral to casual

How it works

This phrase consists of the adverbial conjunction ちなみに (chinami ni, 'by the way') followed by the demonstrative pronoun あれ (are, 'that over there' or 'that thing/matter') and the topic particle は (wa). It introduces a new piece of information or an afterthought related to the previous conversation, often pointing to something general or previously mentioned.

Sample sentences

昨日行ったレストラン、美味しかったね。ちなみに、あれは兄のおすすめだったんだ。

The restaurant we went to yesterday was good, wasn't it? By the way, that was my brother's recommendation.

このプロジェクト、いつまでに終わらせるの？ちなみに、あれは来週の月曜日が締め切りだよ。

When do we need to finish this project by? By the way, that deadline is next Monday.

この件について、もう少し詳しく説明していただけますか？ちなみに、あれは私たちにとって非常に重要な問題です。

Could you please explain this matter in a bit more detail? By the way, that is a very important issue for us.

Quick facts

usage_nuance:Used to add supplementary information or shift focus slightly without being abrupt. The 'are' can refer to a physical object far from both speaker and listener, or more commonly, an abstract topic/event that was previously discussed or is generally understood in the context.

demonstrative_pronoun:あれ (are) is the distal demonstrative, referring to something far from both speaker and listener, or to a topic/event that is distant in time or conceptually.

Often used with

ちなみに、あれは誰の傘ですか？ (By the way, whose umbrella is that?)

ちなみに、あれはもう終わったよ。 (By the way, that's already finished.)

ちなみに、あれは私のじゃない。 (By the way, that's not mine.)

ちなみに、あれは良いアイデアだと思う。 (By the way, I think that's a good idea.)

Mnemonic

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Example

昨日行ったレストラン、美味しかったね。ちなみに、あれは兄のおすすめだったんだ。

The restaurant we went to yesterday was good, wasn't it? By the way, that was my brother's recommendation.

このプロジェクト、いつまでに終わらせるの？ちなみに、あれは来週の月曜日が締め切りだよ。

When do we need to finish this project by? By the way, that deadline is next Monday.