Understand distance distinctions (this, that, that over there)
Learn gender and number agreement rules
Practice with real-life examples and conversations
Introduction to Spanish Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives point out specific people, places, or things – they answer the question “which one?” While English has simple “this” and “that,” Spanish has more precise forms that indicate distance. These small words make your Spanish much more specific and natural!
Basic Demonstrative Adjectives
Close to Speaker (This/These):
English
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine Plural
Feminine Plural
this
este
esta
estos
estas
Close to Listener (That/Those):
English
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine Plural
Feminine Plural
that
ese
esa
esos
esas
Far from Both (That/Those over there):
English
Masculine
Feminine
Masculine Plural
Feminine Plural
that (over there)
aquel
aquella
aquellos
aquellas
Understanding the Distance Concept
Este/Esta (Close to Me):
Something near the speaker
“Este libro” (this book – near me)
“Esta casa” (this house – where I am)
Ese/Esa (Close to You):
Something near the listener
“Ese libro” (that book – near you)
“Esa casa” (that house – where you are)
Aquel/Aquella (Far from Both):
Something distant from both speaker and listener
“Aquel edificio” (that building over there)
“Aquella montaña” (that mountain way over there)
Real-Life Usage Examples
Pointing Out Objects:
“Este coche es mío.” (This car is mine – near me)
“Ese coche es tuyo.” (That car is yours – near you)
“Aquel coche es de Juan.” (That car over there is Juan’s – far away)
In Conversations:
“Esta película es aburrida.” (This movie is boring – we’re watching it)
“Esa idea es buena.” (That idea is good – you suggested it)
“Aquella época fue difícil.” (That time period was difficult – in the past)
Shopping and Descriptions:
“Me gusta esta camisa.” (I like this shirt – I’m holding it)
“¿Te gusta esa falda?” (Do you like that skirt – you’re looking at it)
“Mira aquel vestido.” (Look at that dress over there – across the store)
Gender and Number Agreement
Must Match the Noun:
Masculine Examples:
“este libro” (this book)
“estos libros” (these books)
“ese coche” (that car)
“esos coches” (those cars)
Feminine Examples:
“esta casa” (this house)
“estas casas” (these houses)
“esa mesa” (that table)
“esas mesas” (those tables)
Demonstrative Pronouns vs Adjectives
Demonstrative Adjectives (WITH Noun):
“Este libro es interesante.” (This book is interesting.)
“Esas casas son grandes.” (Those houses are big.)
Demonstrative Pronouns (INSTEAD of Noun):
“Éste es interesante.” (This one is interesting.)
“Ésas son grandes.” (Those ones are big.)
Note: The accent marks (éste, ése, aquél) are optional in modern Spanish but help distinguish pronouns from adjectives.
Common Usage Patterns
In Stores and Markets:
“¿Cuánto cuesta este?” (How much is this one?)
“Prefiero esa.” (I prefer that one.)
“Aquellos son muy caros.” (Those over there are very expensive.)
Giving Directions:
“Toma esta calle.” (Take this street.)
“Gira en esa esquina.” (Turn at that corner.)
“Ve hacia aquel edificio.” (Go toward that building over there.)
Talking About Time:
“Este año voy a viajar.” (This year I’m going to travel.)
“En ese momento supe la verdad.” (At that moment I knew the truth.)
“En aquel entonces éramos jóvenes.” (Back in those days we were young.)
Memory Tricks and Tips
The Three Distances:
Este = “This here” (close to me)
Ese = “That there” (close to you)
Aquel = “That way over there” (far from both)
Finger Pointing Method:
Point to something nearby: “este”
Point to something near listener: “ese”
Point to something far away: “aquel”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t forget gender agreement – este libro vs esta casa
Don’t ignore number agreement – este libro vs estos libros
Don’t confuse distance levels – use the appropriate distance
Don’t mix up adjectives and pronouns – este libro vs éste es mi libro
Quick Reference Chart
Distance
Masculine
Feminine
Meaning
Close to me
este
esta
this
Close to you
ese
esa
that
Far from both
aquel
aquella
that over there
Plural (close to me)
estos
estas
these
Plural (close to you)
esos
esas
those
Plural (far from both)
aquellos
aquellas
those over there
Ready to Practice?
Now that you understand Spanish demonstrative adjectives, it’s time to test your knowledge!
For advanced usage: Complete Demonstrative Adjectives Guide ►
For exam preparation: DELE A1 Demonstratives Guide ►
Remember: Demonstrative adjectives make your Spanish precise and natural. Practice pointing things out in your daily life, and soon you’ll use them automatically!
Frequently Asked Questions About Spanish Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives point to specific nouns based on distance from the speaker. In English: this, that, these, those. In Spanish: este (this), ese (that), aquel (that far away), with plural and feminine forms. Example: “este libro” (this book), “esa casa” (that house), “aquellos árboles” (those trees over there).
This (close): este (masc sing), esta (fem sing), estos (masc pl), estas (fem pl) That (medium distance): ese (masc sing), esa (fem sing), esos (masc pl), esas (fem pl) That (far distance): aquel (masc sing), aquella (fem sing), aquellos (masc pl), aquellas (fem pl)
Example: este perro (this dog), ese perro (that dog), aquel perro (that dog over there).
“Ese” refers to something relatively close to the listener but not near the speaker. “Aquel” refers to something far from both the speaker and listener. Example: “ese coche” (that car near you), “aquel coche” (that car way over there, far from both of us). In conversation, “ese” is much more common; “aquel” emphasizes great distance or time.
Yes! Demonstrative adjectives must match the noun in both gender and number. Examples: este libro (masculine singular), esta pluma (feminine singular), estos libros (masculine plural), estas plumas (feminine plural). The same rule applies to ese/esa/esos/esas and aquel/aquella/aquellos/aquellas.
Demonstrative adjectives go BEFORE the noun. Word order: demonstrative adjective + noun. Examples: “este libro” (this book), “esa casa” (that house), “aquellos días” (those days). They cannot go after the noun. The only exception is when used as pronouns (which have accent marks).
Demonstrative adjectives go BEFORE a noun: “este libro” (this book). Demonstrative pronouns REPLACE the noun and have an accent mark: “éste” (this one), “ése” (that one), “aquél” (that one over there). Example: “Quiero este libro” (I want this book) vs “Quiero éste” (I want this one). The accent mark is no longer required by the RAE but is still commonly used to avoid confusion.
“This” is “este” for masculine nouns and “esta” for feminine nouns. Examples: este hombre (this man), esta mujer (this woman). For plural “these”: estos (masculine), estas (feminine). Examples: estos hombres (these men), estas mujeres (these women).
“That” has two forms: “ese” (medium distance) and “aquel” (far distance). For most situations, “ese” is used. Examples: ese coche (that car), esa silla (that chair). Plural forms: esos (masculine), esas (feminine). Examples: esos coches (those cars), esas sillas (those chairs). Use “aquel/aquella” for things very far away.
When used without a noun, they become demonstrative pronouns and traditionally take an accent mark: éste, ésta, éstos, éstas, ése, ésa, ésos, ésas, aquél, aquélla, aquéllos, aquéllas. However, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) now says the accent is optional unless there is ambiguity. Example: “Quiero éste” (I want this one).
“Esto”, “eso”, and “aquello” are neuter demonstrative pronouns. They never change gender or number. They refer to unknown objects, ideas, concepts, or situations, not specific nouns. Examples: “Esto es importante” (This is important – referring to an idea), “No entiendo eso” (I don’t understand that – referring to a concept), “Aquello fue extraño” (That was strange – referring to a situation).
“These” is “estos” for masculine nouns and “estas” for feminine nouns. Examples: estos zapatos (these shoes), estas camisas (these shirts). “Estos” and “estas” are the plural forms of “este” and “esta”. They always go before the noun: “estos libros” (these books).
Common mistakes: 1) Forgetting gender agreement (saying “este casa” instead of “esta casa”), 2) Forgetting number agreement (saying “este libros” instead of “estos libros”), 3) Confusing “ese” and “aquel” (using “aquel” for things close by), 4) Adding unnecessary accent marks to adjectives (accent marks are only for pronouns), 5) Using “esto/eso/aquello” before nouns (they are neuter pronouns, not adjectives).
Demonstrative adjectives can refer to time. “Este” refers to the present or near future: “esta semana” (this week), “este año” (this year), “este momento” (this moment). “Ese” refers to the recent past: “esa semana” (that week – recently), “ese día” (that day). “Aquel” refers to distant past: “aquella época” (that era), “aquel año” (that year – long ago).
According to the 2010 RAE rules, accent marks on demonstratives (éste, ése, aquél) are optional unless there is ambiguity. In practice, many native speakers still use them. For beginners, it’s safe to use them for pronouns and not for adjectives. Example (adjective): “este libro” (no accent). Example (pronoun): “éste” or “este” (accent optional). The neuter forms (esto, eso, aquello) NEVER have accents.
Best ways to practice: Take our Demonstrative Adjectives Quiz, point to objects around you and say “este/esta” for close things, “ese/esa” for things near someone else, and “aquel/aquella” for far things, describe items in a store window, and use our Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool to see demonstratives in full sentences.
