Today we are going to learn demonstrative adjectives in Spanish. We know adjectives describe, identify or quantify a noun. Demonstratives in Spanish specify where something is located in relation to the speaker. They also help to distinguish between items so that it is clear to which item the speaker is referring.

Demonstratives in Spanish

First of all, we need to mention that there are three different sets of demonstratives in Spanish.

There is a connection between the demonstratives in Spanish and the subject pronouns. We have first-person pronouns: singular (yo) or plural (nosotros, nosotras); second-person pronouns: singular (tú) or plural (vosotros, vosotras); and third-person pronouns: singular (él, ella) or plural (ellos, ellas). So este is related to the first person, ese to the second person and aquel to the third person.

In order to simplify this, remember that este typically describes things or people that are located where the speaker is. Then ese describes things or people that are with the listener. And aquel describes things or people that are with someone else.

Finally, don’t forget that demonstratives in Spanish must agree with the noun they are modifying in both gender and number. In this article, we are going to focus on demonstrative adjectives, which always go before the noun. Let’s start.

Este (this)

Este indicates that the noun you are referring to is physically near you.

MASCULINEFEMININE
SINGULAResteesta
PLURALestosestas

Este coche es amarillo.

This car is yellow.

Esta cometa roja es de Marina.

This red kite is Marina’s.

Estos lápices son geniales.

These pencils are great.

Estas reglas son verdes.

These rulers are green.

Ese (that, within a medium-sized distance)

Ese indicates that the noun you are referring to is physically far from you, but not necessarily from the listener.

MASCULINEFEMININE
SINGULAReseesa
PLURALesosesas

Ese coche es blanco.

That car is white.

Hay 40 cuadros de esa pintora.

There are 40 paintings from that painter.

Esos zapatos de tacón son negros.

Those shoes with high heels are black.

Esas casas no tienen garaje.

Those houses do not have garage.

Aquel (that, within a long distance or farther away)

Aquel indicates that the noun you are referring to is physically far from both the listener and you.

MASCULINEFEMININE
SINGULARaquelaquella
PLURALaquellosaquellas

Aquel coche es negro.

That car is black.

Aquella chaqueta es roja y amarilla.

That jacket over there is red and yellow.

Aquellos cuadernos están en su mesa.

Those notebooks are on his desk.

Aquellas chicas son de México.

Those girls are from Mexico.

Ese vs Aquel

As you can see, the use of the first two sets is very similar to how this / these or that / those are used in English. The third set, aquel, adds more than you’re accustomed to using.

As a rule of thumb, ese refers to an object that is close to the listener, while aquel refers to something further away. However, this is not a strict grammar rule and Spanish native speakers tend to use ese more often than aquel, especially in America due to English influence.

Ese hombre es Juan y es español. Aquel hombre es portugués.

That man is Juan an he is Spanish. That man over there is Portuguese.

Ese edificio en la esquina es alto. Aquel edificio en la próxima calle es más alto.

That building on the corner is tall. That building over there on the next street is taller.

Exercises

Here are some exercises to practice demonstratives in Spanish.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Categorized in:

Grammar