connective N3 common casual
あと — besides / and also (afterthought)
あと
Meaning
- and also / besides / one more thing — casually tacks on an extra item or an afterthought
Key sentence
牛乳とパン、あと卵も買ってきて。
Milk and bread, and also eggs — pick them up, would you?
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial / list-additive adverb | あと（、）〜（も） | あと、もう一つ (and one more thing) |
Examples
必要なのはペンとノート、あと消しゴムかな。
What I need is a pen and a notebook, and also an eraser, I guess.
あと、言い忘れてたけど、明日は少し遅れるかも。
Oh, and I forgot to mention — I might be a little late tomorrow.
When you can't use it
- This is the very casual spoken 'in addition.' Keep it apart from the temporal 後で ('later / after') and the 'remaining amount' 後 (あと三日 = 'three more days') — position and context tell them apart, and this additive あと is usually written in kana.
Easily confused with
Notes
- For a more formal 'furthermore,' use その上 or さらに; あと stays in casual conversation.
See あと in real sentences
Jengo shows あと the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.