Learning esto, eso and aquello in Spanish is very useful because these three words appear constantly in everyday conversations. They are usually translated as this, that, and that over there, but the difference between them is not only physical distance. They can also refer to ideas, situations, comments, memories, or things that have not been clearly identified.
The words esto, eso and aquello in Spanish are called neuter demonstrative pronouns. This means they do not have gender or number. They do not become masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. You use them when you are referring to something general, unknown, abstract, or not named directly.
For example, if you see an object but do not know what it is, you can use esto. If someone tells you something and you want to refer to that idea, you can use eso. If you are talking about a distant situation, memory, or object, you can use aquello.
Understanding esto, eso and aquello in Spanish will help you sound more natural and avoid confusing them with words like este, ese and aquel.
What are Esto, Eso and Aquello in Spanish?
The basic meanings are:
MEANING
MAIN IDEA
esto
this
close to the speaker
eso
that
close to the listener, recently mentioned, or mentally near
aquello
that over there that distant thing
far from both speaker and listener, physically or emotionally
However, esto, eso and aquello in Spanish are not used before nouns. They stand alone.
You do not say esto libro. You say este libro if you mean this book.
You do not say eso casa. You say esa casa if you mean that house.
You do not say aquello problema. You say aquel problema if you mean that problem.
Use esto, eso and aquello when the noun is not mentioned directly.
Esto (this)
Use esto to refer to something near the speaker. It can be a physical object, a situation happening now, or an idea the speaker is introducing.
No entiendo qué es esto, pero parece importante para terminar el proyecto antes del viernes.
I do not understand what this is, but it seems important for finishing the project before Friday.
In this sentence, esto refers to something near the speaker or something the speaker is looking at, holding, or discussing.
You can also use esto for a current situation.
Esto de estudiar todos los días me ayuda mucho, aunque a veces necesito descansar más.
This thing about studying every day helps me a lot, although sometimes I need to rest more.
Here, esto does not refer to one object. It refers to the general situation or habit of studying every day.
This is one reason why esto, eso and aquello in Spanish can be tricky for English speakers: sometimes they refer to a whole idea, not just a physical thing.
Eso (that)
Use eso to refer to something near the listener, something recently mentioned, or an idea already known in the conversation. In many cases, eso is the most common of the three forms.
¿Puedes guardar eso en la mochila antes de que salgamos para la estación de tren?
Can you put that in the backpack before we leave for the train station?
Here, eso probably refers to something closer to the listener than to the speaker.
You can also use eso to refer to something someone has just said.
Eso que dijiste en clase fue muy útil para entender la diferencia entre las tres formas.
That thing you said in class was very useful for understanding the difference between the three forms.
In this example, eso refers to a comment or idea. It does not refer to a physical object. This use is very common in spoken Spanish.
Learners often use eso when reacting to another person’s words:
Eso can mean that idea, that comment, that situation, or what you just said.
This makes eso very useful when learning esto, eso and aquello in Spanish, because conversations often refer back to previous information.
Aquel (that distant thing)
Use aquello when something is far away from both the speaker and the listener. This distance can be physical, but it is often emotional, temporal, or mental.
Cuando era niño, aquello me parecía enorme porque no había visto nunca montañas tan altas.
When I was a child, that seemed enormous to me because I had never seen such tall mountains.
In this sentence, aquello refers to something from the past. The speaker sees it as distant in time.
You can also use aquello for an event or situation that feels far away or separate from the present.
Aquello que ocurrió durante el viaje todavía nos parece extraño, divertido y difícil de explicar.
That thing that happened during the trip still seems strange, funny, and difficult to explain to us.
Here, aquello refers to a past event. It is not simply “that object over there.” It is a distant experience.
In everyday Spanish, aquello is less common than esto and eso, but it is still important. It often appears in stories, memories, explanations, and more formal or literary contexts.
Esto, Eso and Aquello vs. Este, Ese and Aquel
A common mistake is using esto, eso and aquello before nouns. Remember: esto, eso and aquello in Spanish stand alone.
Compare:
NEUTER FORM
WITH NOUN
esto
este libro esta mesa
eso
ese libro esa mesa
aquello
aquel libro aquella mesa
Use este, esta, ese, esa, aquel, and aquella when the noun is clear and directly included.
Use esto, eso and aquello when the noun is not included, unknown, or abstract.
For example, if you know you are talking about a book, you need este libro. But if you do not know what something is, or you are referring to a general situation, esto may be correct.
This distinction is essential when studying esto, eso and aquello in Spanish.
Also, these words are always neuter. They do not change to match masculine or feminine nouns because they are not used directly with nouns.
There is no plural form such as estos for the neuter pronoun esto. The word estos exists, but it is masculine plural and means these, as in estos libros.
Use esto for something close to the speaker or connected to the present situation.
Use eso for something close to the listener, recently mentioned, or already known in the conversation.
Use aquello for something distant, either physically, emotionally, or in time.
The key to mastering esto, eso and aquello in Spanish is remembering that these words stand alone. They do not go before nouns, they do not change for gender, and they do not change for number.
