Demonstrative Adjectives (This/That) in Spanish

Master pointing words! Learn to use demonstrative adjectives to say "this," "that," "these," and "those" in Spanish.

What Are Demonstratives?

The Basics

Demonstrative adjectives point out specific things:

• This/These (close to speaker)
• That/Those (away from speaker)

In Spanish: Three levels of distance!

• ESTE = this (near me)
• ESE = that (near you)
• AQUEL = that over there (far from both)

The Three Distances

Distance System

Visual:

• ESTE: →👆 (here by me)
• ESE: →🫵 (there by you)
• AQUEL: →👉 (over there, far away)

ESTE (This/These)

Near the Speaker

Singular:

Plural:

Examples:

• este libro (this book)
• esta casa (this house)
• estos libros (these books)
• estas casas (these houses)

ESE (That/Those)

Near the Listener

Singular:

Plural:

Examples:

• ese libro (that book - near you)
• esa casa (that house - near you)
• esos libros (those books - near you)
• esas casas (those houses - near you)

AQUEL (That Over There)

Far from Both

Singular:

Plural:

Examples:

• aquel libro (that book over there)
• aquella casa (that house over there)
• aquellos libros (those books over there)
• aquellas casas (those houses over there)

Complete Chart

All Forms Together

Agreement Rules

Must Match the Noun

Demonstratives must agree with the noun in:

1. Gender (masculine/feminine)
2. Number (singular/plural)

Examples:

Using with Nouns

Pattern: DEMONSTRATIVE + NOUN

Important: Demonstrative comes BEFORE the noun!

Common Expressions

Everyday Phrases

When to Use Which One

Choosing the Right Distance

ESTE (this/these):

• Use for things near YOU
• Things you can touch
• Current time/place
• Example: Este libro (this book I'm holding)

ESE (that/those):

• Use for things near the OTHER PERSON
• Things not far away
• Recent past/near future
• Example: Ese libro (that book you're holding)

AQUEL (that/those over there):

• Use for things far from BOTH
• Distant objects
• Long past
• Example: Aquel libro (that book over there on the shelf)

Practical Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Shopping

English: A: I like this shirt. B: Which one? This one? A: No, that one there. B: This blue one? A: Yes, that one! B: It's very pretty. And those pants over there? A: Which ones? B: Those black ones in the back. A: Ah, those pants are nice!

Spanish: A: Me gusta esta camisa. B: ¿Cuál? ¿Esta? A: No, esa de ahí. B: ¿Esta azul? A: Sí, esa! B: Es muy bonita. ¿Y aquellos pantalones de allá? A: ¿Cuáles? B: Aquellos negros del fondo. A: ¡Ah, aquellos pantalones son bonitos!

Dialogue 2: At a Restaurant

English: Waiter: What would you like? Customer: I want this dessert. Waiter: This chocolate one? Customer: No, that one, the vanilla. Waiter: Ah, this one here. And to drink? Customer: That juice over there looks good. Waiter: Which one? Customer: That orange one in the back. Waiter: Perfect!

Spanish: Mesero: ¿Qué desea? Cliente: Quiero este postre. Mesero: ¿Este de chocolate? Cliente: No, ese, el de vainilla. Mesero: Ah, este de aquí. ¿Y para tomar? Cliente: Aquel jugo de allá se ve bueno. Mesero: ¿Cuál? Cliente: Aquel de naranja del fondo. Mesero: ¡Perfecto!

Dialogue 3: Looking at Photos

English: A: Look at these photos! B: Oh! Who are these people? A: These are my parents. And that's my brother. B: And that person over there in the back? A: That's my grandmother. B: And those children? A: Those are my cousins. B: What a nice family!

Spanish: A: ¡Mira estas fotos! B: ¡Oh! ¿Quiénes son estas personas? A: Estos son mis padres. Y ese es mi hermano. B: ¿Y esa persona de allá atrás? A: Esa es mi abuela. B: ¿Y aquellos niños? A: Aquellos son mis primos. B: ¡Qué familia tan linda!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Forgetting gender agreement

• Wrong: este casa
• Right: esta casa
• Must match noun gender!

❌ Mistake 2: Forgetting plural agreement

• Wrong: este libros
• Right: estos libros
• Must match number!

❌ Mistake 3: Using wrong distance

• Context: Pointing at something by the other person
• Wrong: este libro (this book - implies it's near you)
• Right: ese libro (that book - it's near them)
• Consider distance!

❌ Mistake 4: Putting demonstrative after noun

• Wrong: libro este
• Right: este libro
• Demonstrative comes FIRST!

❌ Mistake 5: Confusing ESE and AQUEL

• ESE = moderately far (that)
• AQUEL = very far (that over there)
• Different distances!

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Choose Correct Form

Complete with the correct form of ESTE:

1. _____ libro (masculine singular)
2. _____ casa (feminine singular)
3. _____ libros (masculine plural)
4. _____ casas (feminine plural)

Exercise 2: Choose Correct Demonstrative

Complete with ESTE, ESE, or AQUEL:

1. _____ coche (near me)
2. _____ coche (near you)
3. _____ coche (far from both)

Exercise 3: Make Plural

Change to plural:

1. este libro → _____
2. esa casa → _____
3. aquel coche → _____
4. esta silla → _____

Exercise 4: Translate

Translate to Spanish:

1. this house
2. that car (near you)
3. those books (far away)
4. these chairs
5. that person (near you)

Exercise 5: Complete the Dialogue

Fill in the blanks:

A: Me gusta _____ (this) camisa. B: ¿_____ (This one)? A: No, _____ (that one - near you). B: ¿_____ (This - feminine) roja? A: Sí, _____ (that one)!

Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. este libro
2. esta casa
3. estos libros
4. estas casas

Exercise 2

1. este coche (near me)
2. ese coche (near you)
3. aquel coche (far from both)

Exercise 3

1. estos libros
2. esas casas
3. aquellos coches
4. estas sillas

Exercise 4

1. esta casa
2. ese coche
3. aquellos libros
4. estas sillas
5. esa persona

Exercise 5

A: Me gusta esta camisa. B: ¿Esta? A: No, esa. B: ¿Esta roja? A: Sí, esa!

Quick Reference: Demonstratives

Near Speaker (this/these)

• este (m. sing.), esta (f. sing.)
• estos (m. pl.), estas (f. pl.)

Near Listener (that/those)

• ese (m. sing.), esa (f. sing.)
• esos (m. pl.), esas (f. pl.)

Far from Both (that/those over there)

• aquel (m. sing.), aquella (f. sing.)
• aquellos (m. pl.), aquellas (f. pl.)

Key Rule

Demonstrative + Noun Must agree in gender and number!

Pro Tips

💡 Tip 1: Three Distances Spanish has THREE English has TWO AQUEL = "that over there"!

💡 Tip 2: ESTE Changes este, esta, estos, estas Four forms Always match noun!

💡 Tip 3: Before Noun Always DEMONSTRATIVE first Then noun Never reversed!

💡 Tip 4: Gender from Ending -e = masculine (este, ese) -a = feminine (esta, esa) Easy pattern!

💡 Tip 5: AQUEL = Distant Use AQUEL for emphasis "That one way over there" Clear distance!

Cultural Notes

📚 Three-Way System: Spanish's three-distance system (este/ese/aquel) is more precise than English's two-way system (this/that). This allows for clearer spatial reference.

🗣️ Regional Usage: In some Latin American regions, AQUEL is used less frequently in everyday speech, with ESE serving for both near and far distances. However, AQUEL is always understood and used in formal contexts.

🌍 Written Accents: You may see older texts with accents (éste, ése, aquél). These accents are no longer required by current Spanish grammar rules and are optional.

💭 Demonstrative Pronouns: When used without a noun (just "this one," "that one"), these are called demonstrative pronouns. In modern Spanish, they're written the same as adjectives (no accent needed).

Next Steps

After mastering demonstrative adjectives:

1. ✅ Learn demonstrative pronouns (esto, eso, aquello)
2. ✅ Study adverbs of place (aquí, ahí, allí)
3. ✅ Practice with prepositions (este de aquí, ese de ahí)
4. ✅ Master combined forms (este mismo, esa misma)
5. ✅ Learn expressions with demonstratives

4-Week Action Plan

Week 1: ESTE Forms

• Day 1-2: Learn all four forms
• Day 3-4: Practice gender agreement
• Day 5-7: Use with common nouns

Week 2: ESE Forms

• Day 1-3: Learn all four forms
• Day 4-5: Distinguish from ESTE
• Day 6-7: Practice both systems

Week 3: AQUEL Forms

• Day 1-3: Learn all four forms
• Day 4-5: Understand three distances
• Day 6-7: Use all three appropriately

Week 4: Natural Usage

• Day 1-3: Practice in conversations
• Day 4-5: Use for shopping/pointing
• Day 6-7: Master all demonstratives

Remember: Spanish demonstratives have THREE distance levels! ESTE (this - near me), ESE (that - near you), AQUEL (that over there - far). Each has four forms that must agree with the noun in gender and number. Masculine singular ends in -E (este, ese), feminine singular ends in -A (esta, esa). Plurals add -S: estos/estas, esos/esas, aquellos/aquellas. Always place demonstrative BEFORE the noun. Use este for things near you, ese for things near the listener, and aquel for distant objects. With practice, these become automatic for precise communication!