Demonstratives in Catalan

In Brief

Catalan demonstratives point to a person, object, place, or idea. Aquest refers to what is close, aqueix traditionally refers to what is near the listener, and aquell refers to what is farther away. The forms change for gender and number—aquest llibre, aquesta casa, aquests llibres, aquestes cases—while the neuter forms això and allò refer to an unidentified thing, situation, or idea.

Overview

A demonstrative is a word such as “this,” “that,” “these,” or “those”: it points out which person or thing you mean. In Catalan, demonstratives can be determiners (words placed with a noun), as in aquesta pel·lícula (“this film”), or pronouns (words that replace a noun), as in Prefereixo aquesta (“I prefer this one”).

This is an A1 topic because demonstratives are useful immediately: you need them to choose something in a shop, identify a person, ask what an unfamiliar object is, or contrast two options. The central beginner rule is simple: put the demonstrative before the noun and make it agree with that noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).

English mainly contrasts “this/these” with “that/those.” Catalan traditionally has three distances: near the speaker, near the listener, and far from both. Actual everyday usage varies by region, however. Many speakers regularly use a two-way contrast—aquest versus aquell—and use aqueix less often. Learning the complete system lets you understand all varieties while keeping your own beginner usage manageable.

How It Works

The three distance groups

Distance	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural	Basic meaning
Near the speaker	aquest	aquesta	aquests	aquestes	this, these
Near the listener or at an intermediate distance	aqueix	aqueixa	aqueixos	aqueixes	that, those near you
Farther away	aquell	aquella	aquells	aquelles	that, those over there

The traditional three-way contrast can be imagined like this:

• aquest / aquesta: here with me
• aqueix / aqueixa: there with you
• aquell / aquella: over there, away from both of us

For example, a shop assistant might distinguish aquesta camisa (“this shirt here”), aqueixa camisa (“that shirt by you”), and aquella camisa (“that shirt over there”). In varieties that normally use only two distances, aquesta camisa and aquella camisa are enough, and physical context makes the meaning clear.

Agreement with a noun

A demonstrative used with a noun must match the noun, not the speaker or owner. This matching is called agreement: connected words take forms that show the same gender and number.

Noun	Gender and number	Demonstrative phrase	English
llibre	masculine singular	aquest llibre	this book
pel·lícula	feminine singular	aquesta pel·lícula	this film
carrers	masculine plural	aquells carrers	those streets over there
cases	feminine plural	aquelles cases	those houses over there

The noun’s ending can provide a clue, but it is the noun’s grammatical gender that controls the form. For instance, problema is masculine despite ending in -a, so Catalan says aquest problema, not aquesta problema.

Unlike English, Catalan shows the gender distinction even when both forms translate as “this” or “that”:

• aquest restaurant — this restaurant
• aquesta botiga — this shop
• aquell restaurant — that restaurant
• aquella botiga — that shop

Do not add a definite article (“the”) before a demonstrative in the normal pattern. Say aquest llibre, not el aquest llibre. The demonstrative already identifies the noun.

Determiners and pronouns

The same agreeing forms can either accompany a noun or stand in its place.

Catalan	English	Note
Vull aquest jersei.	I want this sweater.	Aquest accompanies a masculine singular noun.
Vull aquest.	I want this one.	Aquest replaces jersei.
M'agraden aquelles sabates.	I like those shoes over there.	Aquelles accompanies a feminine plural noun.
M'agraden aquelles.	I like those ones.	Aquelles replaces sabates.

When the noun is omitted, the ending still reflects the understood noun. If you are comparing camises (feminine plural), “these” is aquestes. If you are comparing pantalons (masculine plural), it is aquests.

English often adds “one” or “ones” after a demonstrative. Catalan normally does not add a separate equivalent: aquest can itself mean “this one,” and aquelles can mean “those ones.”

The neuter forms: això and allò

Neuter here means that the form does not identify its referent as a masculine or feminine noun. Use neuter demonstratives for an unknown object, a whole situation, something just said, or an abstract idea.

Form	Typical reference	Example	English
això	something present, a current situation, or an idea just mentioned	Què és això?	What is this/that?
allò	something more distant, whether physically or mentally	Què és allò?	What is that over there?

These forms do not change for gender or number, and they do not go directly before a noun. Use aquest llibre for “this book,” not això llibre. Once you name the thing, choose an agreeing demonstrative.

This distinction is especially helpful in questions:

• Què és això? — What is this/that?
• És una eina. — It is a tool.
• Per a què serveix aquesta eina? — What is this tool used for?

The first question uses això because the object has not yet been identified. After eina is known, aquesta agrees with that feminine singular noun.

Distance can be physical, temporal, or conversational

Distance is not limited to objects in space. Demonstratives can point to time or to something in the conversation:

• aquesta setmana — this week
• aquell dia — that day
• això que dius — what you are saying / that which you are saying
• No entenc allò que va passar. — I do not understand what happened back then.

With time, aquest normally connects the period to the present: aquest matí, aquest mes, aquest any. Aquell places a period at a distance from the present or from the current point in a story: aquella nit, aquells anys.

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
Aquest llibre és molt interessant.	This book is very interesting.	Masculine singular, close to the speaker.
M'agrada aquesta pel·lícula.	I like this film.	Feminine singular agreement.
Aquests pantalons són massa llargs.	These trousers are too long.	Masculine plural agreement.
Aquestes claus són teves?	Are these keys yours?	Feminine plural agreement.
Pots deixar aqueix paquet sobre la taula?	Can you put that package by you on the table?	Traditional middle-distance form.
Aqueixes ulleres et queden bé.	Those glasses by you suit you.	Feminine plural middle-distance form.
Aquell home és el meu professor.	That man over there is my teacher.	Masculine singular, farther away.
Aquella casa té un jardí enorme.	That house over there has a huge garden.	Feminine singular, farther away.
Recordes aquells estius al poble?	Do you remember those summers in the village?	Distance in time.
Què és això?	What is this?	An unidentified object or situation.
Allò és el castell.	That over there is the castle.	A distant thing not named in the phrase.
No facis això, si us plau.	Do not do that, please.	Això refers to an action.
Entre aquesta i aquella, prefereixo aquesta.	Between this one and that one, I prefer this one.	The feminine noun is understood.
Això que proposes em sembla bé.	What you are proposing sounds good to me.	Refers to an entire proposal.

Common Mistakes

Using one form for every noun

• Wrong: aquest casa
• Right: aquesta casa
• Why: Casa is feminine singular, so the demonstrative must be aquesta. English “this” does not show gender, but Catalan does.

Forgetting plural agreement

• Wrong: aquell llibres
• Right: aquells llibres
• Why: Llibres is plural, so aquell must also become plural. Watch the full set: aquell, aquella, aquells, aquelles.

Combining the demonstrative with an article

• Wrong: el aquest cotxe
• Right: aquest cotxe
• Why: In the normal pre-noun pattern, Catalan does not use el, la, els, or les together with the demonstrative.

Putting a neuter form before a noun

• Wrong: això problema
• Right: aquest problema
• Why: Això stands independently and refers to an unidentified thing, situation, or idea. Before the masculine noun problema, use agreeing aquest.

Copying English “one” unnecessarily

• Awkward: Prefereixo aquest un.
• Right: Prefereixo aquest.
• Why: When the noun is already clear, the demonstrative itself means “this one.” No extra word is needed.

Treating aqueix as obligatory everywhere

• Misleading rule: Every English “that” near the listener must always be aqueix.
• Natural alternatives: Passa'm aqueix bolígraf or, depending on the speaker’s variety, Passa'm aquest bolígraf.
• Why: The traditional system gives aqueix a clear middle-distance role, but regional usage differs. Follow the usage of the Catalan variety you are learning rather than forcing the same three-way distinction in every conversation.

Usage Notes

A practical beginner strategy

Use aquest for something presented as close or current and aquell for something clearly distant. Recognize aqueix and learn its forms, especially if you hear or study Valencian varieties, but do not worry if speakers around you use it infrequently. This approach is both manageable and widely understandable.

The neuter això is extremely common in conversation and is broader than English “this.” Depending on gesture, context, and the speaker’s variety, it may naturally translate as “this,” “that,” “that matter,” or even “what you just said.” Translation alone therefore does not determine which Catalan form is best.

Demonstratives with pointing words

Speakers often reinforce the contrast with adverbs of place (words such as “here” and “there”):

• aquest d'aquí — this one here
• aquell d'allà — that one over there
• aquesta taula d'aquí — this table here
• aquelles muntanyes d'allà — those mountains over there

These combinations are useful when distance alone is not obvious or when several possible objects are visible.

Position after the noun

The neutral beginner pattern is demonstrative + noun: aquesta cadira. Catalan can also place a demonstrative after a noun, generally with an article: la cadira aquesta. This order is marked rather than neutral and may add contrast, insistence, familiarity, or a dismissive tone depending on context. Use the pre-noun pattern until you have heard how local speakers use the post-noun one.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following points at A1, but they explain forms you will meet later.

Regional systems

Catalan demonstratives do not have exactly the same frequency across the language area. A traditional three-way system distinguishes aquest (near the speaker), aqueix (near the listener), and aquell (farther away). Many central and other speakers mostly maintain a two-way everyday contrast between aquest and aquell. Valencian usage more readily preserves middle-distance forms from the aqueix group, although choices still vary by place and speaker.

Some Valencian usage also includes the neuter açò, traditionally “this here,” alongside això and allò. If your main goal is general beginner Catalan, active command of això and allò is sufficient at first. Recognize açò as a regional member of the same demonstrative system rather than as a different grammatical category.

Referring to statements and ideas

Neuter demonstratives frequently organize a conversation or text:

• Per això no he vingut. — That is why I did not come.
• Dit això, podem continuar. — That said, we can continue.
• Això sí, demà hem de començar aviat. — Mind you / That said, tomorrow we must start early.
• Tot allò que necessites és aquí. — Everything you need is here.

In these examples, there is no single masculine or feminine noun for the demonstrative to match. The reference is a reason, a previous statement, a qualification, or an indefinite set of things, so a neuter form is natural.

Contrast inside a text

In careful writing, aquest and aquell can help distinguish two previously mentioned people or ideas. Aquest tends to point to the nearer or more recently mentioned referent, while aquell points to the more distant or earlier one. This is a formal cohesion device, not a rule beginners need for ordinary conversation. In everyday speech, repeating the noun or name is often clearer.

Pronunciation does not change the spelling

The spoken form of aquest and related words varies across accents and sound environments. You may hear a final consonant more or less clearly, or hear vowel qualities different from those in another region. The standard written forms remain aquest, aquesta, aquests, and aquestes. Learn spelling from the paradigm and pronunciation from speakers of the variety you follow.

Practice Tips

1. Build four-form sets with real nouns. Choose one masculine and one feminine noun, then make singular and plural phrases: aquest got, aquesta tassa, aquests gots, aquestes tasses. Repeat with aquell. This trains agreement rather than isolated memorization.
2. Point and contrast. Look around a room or at a picture and say three short phrases: aquest llibre, aquella finestra, aquestes cadires. Then hide the noun: Vull aquest; Prefereixo aquelles. Check that the ending still matches the understood noun.
3. Separate named things from whole ideas. Ask Què és això? about an unknown object, then name it and switch forms: És una màquina. Com funciona aquesta màquina? Also collect common conversational chunks such as per això, això sí, and dit això.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Gender and Number of Nouns — demonstratives use the same masculine/feminine and singular/plural distinctions as the nouns they identify.