Demonstratives: este, ese, aquel (This, That, That Over There)
Spanish points at things from three distances: este (this, near me), ese (that, near you) and aquel (that, far from both), each matching its noun.
Taught in: A1.2 Week 3: Shopping
The rule at a glance
este near me · ese near you · aquel far from both
Each one agrees with the noun: este, esta, estos, estas
Near me: this, these
este, esta, estos, estas
Quiero esta camisa.
I want this shirt (the one I'm holding).
Near you: that, those
ese, esa, esos, esas
Dame ese libro.
Give me that book (the one next to you).
Far from both: that, those
aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
Mira aquel avión.
Look at that plane over there.
Ideas and unknown things
esto, eso, aquello
¿Qué es esto?
What's this?
- Match gender and number: esta mesa, not este mesa; estos coches, not este coches.
- English "that" is two words in Spanish: ese for something near the person you're talking to, aquel for something far from both of you.
Forms
Each distance has four forms, which agree in gender and number with the noun, like the articles el, la, los, las. A fifth, neuter form is for things and ideas without a noun.
| Near me (this, these) | Near you (that, those) | Far from both (that, those) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | este | ese | aquel |
| feminine singular | esta | esa | aquella |
| masculine plural | estos | esos | aquellos |
| feminine plural | estas | esas | aquellas |
| neuter (things, ideas) | esto | eso | aquello |
When to use it
Choose by distance from you and from the person you're talking to:
este, esta
I can touch it: in my hand, on my desk
ese, esa
You can touch it: near you, in your space
aquel, aquella
Neither of us can reach it: across the room, outside
1. Near me: este, esta, estos, estas
Este libro es interesante – This book is interesting
Esta silla es cómoda – This chair is comfortable
Estos libros son míos – These books are mine
Estas flores son bonitas – These flowers are pretty
2. Near you: ese, esa, esos, esas
Ese bolígrafo es tuyo – That pen is yours
Esa mesa es grande – That table is big
Esos zapatos son nuevos – Those shoes are new
Esas llaves son suyas – Those keys are his/hers
3. Far from both of you: aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
Aquel edificio es antiguo – That building is old
Aquella montaña es alta – That mountain is high
Aquellos árboles son grandes – Those trees are big
Aquellas casas son blancas – Those houses are white
4. Shopping: pointing at what you want
Without a noun, the same forms mean "this one", "that one": Quiero este (I want this one).
Quiero esta camisa – I want this shirt (holding it)
¿Cuánto cuesta ese bolso? How much is that bag? (near the seller)
Me gustan estos zapatos – I like these shoes (in my hands)
Prefiero aquellos – I prefer those ones over there
5. Things you can't name and ideas: esto, eso, aquello
The neuter forms never go before a noun. Use them when you don't know what something is, or for a situation or idea.
¿Qué es esto? What is this?
Eso es verdad – That's true
Aquello fue increíble – That was incredible
Common mistakes
Wrong gender
Not this (incorrect): este mesa
But this (correct): esta mesa – this table. Mesa is feminine, so use esta. Check the noun's gender.
Forgetting the plural
Not this (incorrect): este coches
But this (correct): estos coches – these cars. Plural nouns need plural demonstratives.
Neuter before a noun
Not this (incorrect): eso libro
But this (correct): ese libro – that book. Eso never goes before a noun. Libro is masculine, so ese.
Quick check
8 questions1. How do you say 'this book' (masculine)?
'Libro' is masculine, so we use 'este' for 'this'. Este libro = this book (near me)!
2. What's the correct form for 'that house' (near you)?
'Casa' is feminine, so 'that (near you)' is 'esa casa'. Feminine + that = esa!
3. How do you say 'these cars' (masculine plural)?
'Coches' is masculine plural, so we need 'estos coches' for 'these cars'.
4. You're pointing at shirts near the salesperson. What's correct?
Items near the listener (not you) use 'ese/esa/esos/esas'. 'Camisas' is feminine plural, so it's 'esas camisas'.
5. How do you say 'that building over there' (masculine)?
For things far from both people, use 'aquel/aquella'. 'Edificio' is masculine, so it's 'aquel edificio'.
6. How do you say 'those pencils' (near you)?
'Lápices' is masculine plural. For 'those (near you)', use 'esos lápices'.
7. What's 'these chairs' (feminine plural)?
'Sillas' is feminine plural, so 'these chairs' is 'estas sillas'. Remember the gender match!
8. You want 'that notebook' on the teacher's desk (far). What's correct?
For objects far from both you and the person you're talking to, use 'aquel'. 'Cuaderno' is masculine, so it's 'aquel cuaderno'.
Test your understanding of Spanish demonstratives!
Going further
Demonstrative pronouns, time, fixed expressions and more examples
Demonstrative pronouns
"Demonstratives" covers both adjectives (este libro, this book) and pronouns (quiero este, I want this one). The forms are identical: pronouns simply stand alone without a noun. More on demonstrative pronouns in real contexts.
Quiero este – I want this one (masculine)
Prefiero esas – I prefer those ones (feminine plural)
Beyond physical distance: time
The same three distances work for time: now, a time just mentioned, and the distant past.
Este año – This year (current)
Ese día – That day (already mentioned)
Aquella época – That era (distant past)
Fixed expressions
Por eso – That's why / therefore
A eso de las tres – Around three o'clock
Esto y aquello – This and that
En esos días – In those days
More examples
Masc. sing.: este libro – this book
Fem. sing.: esta mesa – this table
Masc. sing.: ese coche – that car
Fem. sing.: esa casa – that house
Masc. pl.: esos bolsos – those bags
Fem. sing.: aquella montaña – that mountain over there
Masc. pl.: aquellos edificios – those buildings over there
Fem. pl.: aquellas montañas – those mountains over there