Demonstrative Adjectives in Spanish

In Brief

Spanish has three families of demonstratives: este for something near the speaker, ese for something farther away or near the listener, and aquel for something far from both. Each form agrees with its noun in gender and number: este libro, esta mesa, estos libros, estas mesas.

Overview

A demonstrative points out a particular person, object, place, or idea: this book, that street, those buildings. When it accompanies a noun (a word for a person, thing, place, or idea), it works as a demonstrative adjective, also called a demonstrative determiner: este libro means “this book.” Spanish demonstratives tell you not only whether the noun is singular or plural and masculine or feminine, but also how the speaker views its distance.

This is an A1 topic because demonstratives are essential for shopping, asking for things, giving directions, and identifying people. English mainly contrasts this/these with that/those. Spanish normally offers a three-way choice: este, ese, and aquel. The difference is often physical distance, but it can also be distance in time, conversation, memory, or attitude.

The beginner rule is simple: choose a distance family, then make the demonstrative match the noun. Once that rule feels automatic, the later sections will help you interpret less literal and more stylistic uses.

How It Works

The complete agreement pattern

Agreement means that related words use matching grammatical forms. Spanish nouns have grammatical gender—usually masculine or feminine—and can be singular or plural. A demonstrative must match both features.

Distance	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural
Near the speaker	este	esta	estos	estas
Farther away / near the listener	ese	esa	esos	esas
Far from both	aquel	aquella	aquellos	aquellas

The noun—not the person speaking—controls gender and number:

• este teléfono — this phone
• esta mochila — this backpack
• esos zapatos — those shoes
• aquellas montañas — those mountains over there

Plural formation is not identical in all three families. Este becomes estos, not estes. Ese becomes esos, not eses. The feminine forms follow the more visible pattern esta → estas and esa → esas. Aquel changes to aquellos in the masculine plural and to aquella/aquellas in the feminine.

Choosing between este, ese, and aquel

A useful beginner map is:

Family	Basic viewpoint	Typical English equivalent	Common location word
este	here, close to the speaker	this / these	aquí (“here”)
ese	there, not close to the speaker; often by the listener	that / those	ahí (“there”)
aquel	over there, far from speaker and listener	that / those over there	allí or allá (“over there”)

Imagine a customer and a shop assistant. An item in the customer’s hand is esta camisa. One beside the assistant may be esa camisa. One displayed across the shop can be aquella camisa. Real speakers do not measure exact distances: the choice reflects how they mentally divide the space.

English “that” can therefore correspond to either ese or aquel. If a contrast matters, “that over there” often communicates aquel more clearly in translation. If it does not matter, natural English may simply use “that.”

Position before the noun

In ordinary neutral Spanish, the demonstrative comes immediately before the noun:

• este café — this coffee
• esa puerta — that door
• aquellos árboles — those trees over there

Do not normally add a definite article (el, la, los, las) before it. A demonstrative already identifies the noun, so Spanish says esta casa, not la esta casa.

Other words can appear between the demonstrative and noun, especially descriptive adjectives:

• este pequeño problema — this small problem
• aquellas preciosas playas — those beautiful beaches over there

Referring to a noun without repeating it

The same gendered forms can stand alone as pronouns—words used in place of a noun—when the missing noun is clear:

• ¿Qué vestido quieres? — Quiero este. — “Which dress do you want? — I want this one.”
• Estas gafas son caras, pero esas son baratas. — “These glasses are expensive, but those are cheap.”

Modern Spanish spelling uses este, ese, aquel and their related forms without accent marks whether they accompany a noun or stand alone. Forms such as éste and ésa occur in older writing, but the current general recommendation is not to accent them.

Examples in Context

The examples move from immediate physical space to time and conversation.

Spanish	English	Note
Este libro es interesante.	This book is interesting.	Masculine singular, near the speaker
¿Cuánto cuesta esta chaqueta?	How much does this jacket cost?	Feminine singular
Estos tomates están maduros.	These tomatoes are ripe.	Masculine plural
Estas llaves son de Ana.	These keys are Ana’s.	Feminine plural
¿Es ese asiento tuyo?	Is that seat yours?	Farther from the speaker
Esa chica es mi hermana.	That girl is my sister.	Feminine singular
Me gustan esos zapatos que llevas.	I like those shoes you’re wearing.	The objects are with the listener
¿Ves esas luces al final de la calle?	Do you see those lights at the end of the street?	Medium or contextually relevant distance
Aquel pueblo está detrás de las montañas.	That village over there is behind the mountains.	Far from everyone present
Aquella torre es del siglo XV.	That tower over there is from the fifteenth century.	Feminine singular, distant
Aquellos edificios son viejos.	Those buildings over there are old.	Masculine plural
Nunca olvidaré aquellas vacaciones.	I’ll never forget that vacation.	Distant in time; Spanish uses a plural noun
Prefiero este.	I prefer this one.	Stands alone; the noun is understood
Estas sillas son cómodas, pero aquellas son más bonitas.	These chairs are comfortable, but those over there are prettier.	Stand-alone feminine plural form

Common Mistakes

Using the English two-way system automatically

• Less precise: Ese edificio de allí es el ayuntamiento.
• Better for a clearly distant building: Aquel edificio de allí es el ayuntamiento.
• Why: English uses “that” for many distances. Spanish can distinguish a moderately distant ese from a clearly remote aquel. The first sentence is not impossible, but aquel better matches the stated viewpoint.

Forgetting gender agreement

• Wrong: este mesa
• Right: esta mesa
• Why: Mesa is feminine, so it requires the feminine singular form esta. Choose agreement from the Spanish noun, not from the English word.

Forming the plural mechanically

• Wrong: estes libros / eses zapatos
• Right: estos libros / esos zapatos
• Why: The masculine plurals are estos and esos. Learn each four-form family as a set rather than merely adding -s.

Adding an article

• Wrong: la esa casa / el este problema
• Right: esa casa / este problema
• Why: A demonstrative normally occupies the identifying position that an article would occupy. You do not combine them in this neutral order.

Using a neutral form before a noun

• Wrong: esto libro / eso situación
• Right: este libro / esa situación
• Why: Esto, eso, and aquello are neutral pronouns for unidentified things, ideas, or situations. They never accompany a noun. Nouns use the gendered forms.

Adding outdated written accents

• Outdated in ordinary modern spelling: Prefiero éste. Dame aquélla.
• Current standard: Prefiero este. Dame aquella.
• Why: Demonstrative pronouns are now normally written without an accent. You may still encounter accented spellings in older books and in writing that follows earlier conventions.

Usage Notes

Distance depends on viewpoint

The three zones are useful, but they are not fixed circles on a map. Two speakers can choose different forms for the same object because they organize the scene differently. Ese is especially flexible: it can indicate something near the listener, something previously mentioned, or simply something the speaker treats as outside their own immediate “here.”

Location words often reinforce the contrast: este de aquí, ese de ahí, aquel de allí. These combinations are especially useful when pointing among several similar objects. Usage of aquí/acá and allí/allá varies across the Spanish-speaking world, but the demonstrative agreement does not change.

Time and conversation

Distance can be metaphorical. Este often points to the present period: esta semana (“this week”) or este año (“this year”). Aquel can place an event in a remote or vividly remembered past: aquellos años (“those years”). Ese often refers back to something just mentioned: Ese problema no es nuevo (“That problem isn’t new”).

English habits can mislead here. “This year” maps neatly to este año, but English “that day” may be ese día or aquel día depending on how remote the speaker presents it. Context, not a word-for-word rule, decides.

People and tone

Demonstratives can identify people neutrally: Esa mujer es la directora (“That woman is the director”). However, pointing at a person with “that man/woman” can sound distancing or rude in both Spanish and English, depending on tone and setting. A name, title, or phrase such as la señora de la chaqueta azul may be more courteous.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following details at A1, but you will meet them in natural speech and writing.

Neutral esto, eso, and aquello

Spanish has three neutral demonstrative pronouns. “Neutral” here means that they do not identify a masculine or feminine noun; they point to an unknown object, a whole situation, or an idea.

Spanish	English	Note
¿Qué es esto?	What is this?	Something near the speaker is unidentified
No entiendo eso.	I don’t understand that.	Refers to an idea or what someone said
Aquello fue inolvidable.	That was unforgettable.	A remote event or experience

These forms have no plural and never precede nouns. Once the noun is named, switch to an agreeing form: ¿Qué es esto? — Es una herramienta. Esta herramienta sirve para cortar.

Demonstratives after the noun

A demonstrative can follow a noun, especially in conversational language. In that pattern the noun normally has a definite article: el libro ese, la casa aquella. This order is marked rather than neutral. Depending on voice and context, it can add insistence, emotional distance, annoyance, or a “that particular one” effect:

• No me gusta el tono ese. — “I don’t like that tone.”
• ¿Recuerdas la casa aquella junto al río? — “Do you remember that house by the river?”

For clear, neutral beginner Spanish, keep the demonstrative before the noun: ese tono, aquella casa.

Text and discourse

In careful writing, demonstratives can guide the reader through ideas, not just physical objects. Este may refer to something close in the text or about to be explained, while ese often picks up an idea already mentioned. Aquel can contrast a more remote person, period, or earlier point. These patterns are tendencies, not rigid punctuation-like rules, and overusing demonstratives can make prose vague. If esto or eso could refer to several ideas, repeat a clear noun instead: esta decisión, ese argumento, or aquella propuesta.

Practice Tips

1. Build four-form sets. Take one noun of each gender and number and say the complete family aloud: este libro, esta mesa, estos libros, estas mesas. Repeat with ese and aquel.
2. Use a three-zone pointing drill. Place one object beside you, one across the table, and one far away. Describe each object, then move it and change the demonstrative. This connects the forms to a viewpoint rather than to an English translation.
3. Notice noun omission. While reading or listening, collect pairs such as esta camisa / prefiero esta. Ask whether the demonstrative accompanies a noun, replaces a known noun, or uses neutral esto/eso/aquello for an idea.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular Adjectives — introduces the gender and number agreement patterns that demonstratives also follow.