Spanish Grammar Bank
SPANISH DEMONSTRATIVES
In Spanish, demonstratives (demonstrativos) such as “this” and “that” are key for identifying objects, people, or ideas based on their space-time proximity to the speaker or listener.
Demonstratives in Spanish can function as adjectives, pronouns, or adverbs. Let’s have a look at them.
DEMONSTRATIVE DETERMINERS
In Spanish, demonstrative determiners (determinantes demostrativos) are used to identify a noun, indicating its location or proximity relative to the speaker or listener.
These determiners must agree in gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular and plural) with the noun they modify.
There are three degrees of proximity:
- Close to the speaker: este, esta, estos, estas (“this” or in the plural, “these”)
- Close to the listener: ese, esa, esos, esas (“that” or in the plural “those”)
- Far from both: aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas (similar to that/those but with an added level of distance, akin to saying “that over there” or in the plural, “those over there”)
Proximity can also be expressed – aside from the strictly physical sense – in an affective or a figurative sense.
| Proximity | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close to the speaker | este | esta | estos | estas |
| Close to the listener | ese | esa | esos | esas |
| Far from both | aquel | aquella | aquellos | aquellas |
View Examples:
| Este coche rojo me gusta mucho. | I like this red car a lot. |
| Pásame esa taza de café. | Pass me that cup of coffee. |
| Vamos a esa tienda. | We are going to that store. |
| Esos libros no están en su sitio. | Those books are not in their place. |
| Me acuerdo de aquel día. | I remember that day. |
| Aquellas casas son nuevas. | Those houses over there are new. |
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
In Spanish, demonstrative pronouns replace nouns that have either been mentioned or understood from the context.
Demonstrative pronouns follow the same form as demonstrative determiners, with the difference that the pronouns stand alone and are used without a noun.
| Proximity | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close to the speaker | este | esta | estos | estas | esto |
| Close to the listener | ese | esa | esos | esas | eso |
| Far from both | aquel | aquella | aquellos | aquellas | aquello |
The neutral forms (esto, eso, and aquello) are used to refer to abstract ideas or unidentified objects and do not vary in gender or number.
View Examples:
| Este es un buen lugar para descansar. | This is a good spot to rest. |
| Tenemos que solucionar esto. | We have to solve this. |
| Esa es mi bufanda. | That is my scarf. |
| Esos son los perros que veo siempre en el parque. | Those are the dogs I always see in the park. |
| Aquella es la tienda que busco. | That over there is the store I am looking for. |
| Aquello no me pareció adecuado. | I didn’t think that was appropriate. |
THIS AND THAT IN SPANISH
In Spanish, for the proper use of the demonstratives equivalent to “this” or “that”, these rules must be followed:
➡️ Agreement in Gender and Number
Demonstrative determiners and pronouns must agree in gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular and plural), with the noun they modify or replace – with the sole exception of the neutral form of demonstrative pronouns.
| estos libros | these books |
| esta flor | this flower |
| ese coche | that car |
| esas luces | those lights |
| aquella montaña | that mountain over there |
| aquellos gatos | those cats |
➡️ Feminine Nouns
When using feminine nouns that begin with a stressed /a/, such as agua (water), águila (eagle), and aula (classroom), it is recommended to use the appropriate feminine forms of the demonstrative.
| esa agua | that water |
| aquella agua | that water over there |
| esta aula | this classroom |
| aquella aula | that classroom |
| esa águila | that eagle |
| esta águila | this eagle |
➡️ Demonstratives for Time Expression
Although demonstratives usually express time-space proximity, they can also be used to mark time:
- Este (this) – expresses a minor time distance, either retrospectively or prospectively.
- Ese (that) – is more commonly used in retrospect to express a time in the near past.
- Aquel (a more distant “that”) – used mostly retrospectively to indicate a more distant time in the past
| Este martes estoy ocupada. | This Tuesday I am busy. |
| Este verano nos vimos mucho. | This summer we saw each other a lot. |
| Ese día no estuve. | I wasn’t there that day. |
| Esa semana pasó muy lenta. | That week went by very slowly. |
| Aquel diciembre nevó como nunca antes. | That December, it snowed like never before. |
| Aquellos tiempos fueron memorables. | Those times were memorable. |
➡️ Neuter Demonstratives
Demonstrative pronouns can be used in the neuter form (esto, eso, and aquello) when referring to abstract or undefined concepts and not for specific nouns. These pronouns do not vary in gender and number.
| Aquello fue un error. | That was a mistake. |
| Eso duele mucho. | That hurts a lot. |
| Esto me recuerda a ti. | This reminds me of you. |
| Deberíamos olvidar aquello. | We should forget about that. |
| Eso que dices es una buena idea. | What you are saying is a good idea. |
| A ver si solucionamos esto. | Let’s see if we can solve this. |
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FAQs
What are the basic demonstrative adjectives in Spanish?
The main ones are este/esta (this), ese/esa (that), and aquel/aquella (that over there), each agreeing in gender and number with the noun they modify.
How do I know when to use “este,” “ese,” or “aquel”?
Use este for something close to the speaker, ese for something close to the listener, and aquel for something far from both.
Are demonstrative pronouns the same as demonstrative adjectives?
They are similar, but demonstrative pronouns replace nouns, while demonstrative adjectives describe them.
Example: Este libro (this book) vs. Este es bueno (this one is good).
Do demonstrative pronouns still carry an accent?
Traditionally, demonstrative pronouns had a written accent (e.g., éste), but modern Spanish no longer requires it unless needed for clarity.
Do demonstratives change for plural and gender?
Yes—este becomes estos (masc. plural), esta becomes estas (fem. plural), and the same applies to ese/esa and aquel/aquella.
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