Demonstrative Pronouns in Spanish: A2 Grammar Guide

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Key Takeaways

• Master the three sets of demonstrative pronouns (este, ese, aquel)
• Understand when to use each pronoun based on physical and emotional distance
• Learn the difference between demonstrative pronouns and adjectives
• Practice using demonstrative pronouns to replace nouns and avoid repetition
• Master gender and number agreement with demonstrative pronouns

Point Out Specific Things Without Repetition

Demonstrative pronouns allow you to point out specific things without repeating the noun. Think of them as the Spanish equivalents of “this one,” “that one,” “these,” and “those” in English. While demonstrative adjectives describe nouns (this book), demonstrative pronouns replace them (this one).

The Three Levels of Distance

Spanish has three sets of demonstratives, each indicating a different distance:

Distance	Concept	English Equivalent
Near Speaker	Close to me	This one, These
Near Listener	Close to you	That one, Those
Far from Both	Far from both of us	That one over there, Those over there

Demonstrative Pronouns Chart

Demonstrative Pronouns – Learn all 12 forms

Distance	Masculine Singular	Feminine Singular	Masculine Plural	Feminine Plural
Near Speaker (this one/these)	este	esta	estos	estas
Near Listener (that one/those)	ese	esa	esos	esas
Far from Both (that one over there)	aquel	aquella	aquellos	aquellas

Table: Complete Spanish Demonstrative Pronouns

💡 Grammar Tip: Before 2010, demonstrative pronouns carried accent marks (éste, ése, aquél) to distinguish them from adjectives (este, ese, aquel). The RAE removed this rule — both forms are now written without accents. You may still see the accented forms in older materials, but current standard Spanish writes them all without accents.

Demonstrative Pronouns vs. Adjectives

Demonstrative Adjective	Demonstrative Pronoun
“Este libro es mío.” (This book is mine.)	“Este es mío.” (This one is mine.)
“Esa casa es grande.” (That house is big.)	“Esa es grande.” (That one is big.)
“Aquel coche es rápido.” (That car over there is fast.)	“Aquellos son rápidos.” (Those over there are fast.)

Using Demonstrative Pronouns in Context

Physical Distance:

• “¿Qué libro prefieres?” “Prefiero este.” (Which book do you prefer? I prefer this one.) – book is close to speaker
• “Esas flores son bonitas, pero esas son más grandes.” (Those flowers are pretty, but those are bigger.) – flowers are close to listener
• “Mira esos edificios. Aquellos son muy antiguos.” (Look at those buildings. Those over there are very old.) – buildings are far from both

Emotional Distance:

• “Tengo dos problemas: este es pequeño, pero ese es grave.” (I have two problems: this one is small, but that one is serious.) – emotional distance
• “De todos mis recuerdos, aquel es el más feliz.” (Of all my memories, that one is the happiest.) – distant in time

Neuter Forms: Esto, Eso, Aquello

For abstract concepts or when the gender is unknown:

Neuter Form	Use For	Example	Translation
Esto	This (unspecified)	¿Qué es esto?	What is this?
Eso	That (unspecified)	No me gusta eso.	I don’t like that.
Aquello	That over there (unspecified)	Aquello era diferente.	That was different.

🔍 Grammar Focus: Neuter forms are used when you don’t know or can’t see what you’re referring to, or for abstract concepts. They never carry accent marks.

Common Usage Patterns

In Stores and Markets:

• “Me gusta esta camisa, pero esta es muy cara.”
• “Prefiero esos zapatos. Esos son más cómodos.”
• “¿Cuánto cuestan aquellos?” (pointing to distant items)

Making Comparisons:

• “Entre estos dos libros, este es más interesante.”
• “De todas las opciones, aquella es la mejor.”

Avoiding Repetition:

• “Tengo varias ideas. Esta es práctica, esa es creativa, y aquella es innovadora.”

Putting It All Together: Real Conversations

Conversation 1: Shopping Decisions

Cliente: Me interesan estos dos vestidos. Este es elegante, pero ese es más cómodo.
Vendedor: Este es de seda, ese es de algodón. ¿Y aquel azul?
Cliente: Aquellos son bonitos, pero prefiero estos.

Translation:
Customer: I’m interested in these two dresses. This one is elegant, but that one is more comfortable.
Salesperson: This one is silk, that one is cotton. What about that blue one over there?
Customer: Those over there are pretty, but I prefer these.

Conversation 2: Choosing Options

Ana: Tenemos tres restaurantes para elegir. Este está cerca, ese es barato, y aquel tiene mejor comida.
Carlos: Prefiero este. Aquel es demasiado lejos.
Ana: Ese tampoco me convence. Vamos a este.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing distance levels: Using “ese” when you mean “aquel”
• Using adjectives as pronouns: “Este es libro” (wrong) → “Este libro” or “Este” (correct)
• Wrong gender agreement: “Este casa” (wrong) → “Esta casa” or “Esta” (correct)
• Overusing neuter forms: Use only for unspecified or abstract concepts

Quick Reference Chart

Situation	Form to Use	Example
Object near me (masculine)	este, estos	Este es mejor
Object near me (feminine)	esta, estas	Esta es mía
Object near you (masculine)	ese, esos	Ese es tuyo
Object near you (feminine)	esa, esas	Esa es grande
Object far from both (masc)	aquel, aquellos	Aquellos son caros
Object far from both (fem)	aquella, aquellas	Aquellas son antiguas
Unspecified/abstract	esto, eso, aquello	¿Qué es esto?

Practice Exercise: Choose the Correct Pronoun

Select the correct demonstrative pronoun:

1. (This one – close to me, masculine) ______ es mi favorito.
2. (That one – close to you, feminine) ______ es más barata.
3. (Those over there – far, masculine) ______ son importados.
4. (What is this? – unspecified) ¿Qué es ______?

Answers:

1. Este es mi favorito.
2. Esa es más barata.
3. Aquellos son importados.
4. ¿Qué es esto?

📚 Review related topics: Demonstrative Adjectives | Possessive Pronouns

Ready to Point Things Out Precisely?

Think you’ve mastered demonstrative pronouns? Test your ability to choose the right form based on distance and gender!

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