In Spanish, the are three sets of demonstrative pronouns that indicate how close or far an object is from the speaker. They agree with the noun in gender and number.
| 1. this, these | 2. that, those / it, they | 3. that, those (over there) / it, they | |
|---|---|---|---|
| singular | este | ese | aquel |
| esta | esa | aquella | |
| neuter | esto | eso | aquello |
| plural | estos | esos | aquellos |
| estas | esas | aquellas |
- The demonstrative pronoun este refers to things that are close to the speaker and listener (here):
Este papel está bien para hacer tarjetas.
This paper is good for making cards.
- The demonstrative pronoun ese is used to talk about things that are further from the speaker, but may be closer to the listener (there):
Sonia, contesta esas preguntas, por favor.
Sonia, answer those questions, please.
- The demonstrative pronoun aquel is used to talk about things or people that are further away from both the speaker and the listener (over there):
Aquel profesor es muy estricto.
That teacher is very strict.
The demonstrative pronouns can stand alone, that is, they can substitute the noun they are referring to:
Este es mi escritorio.
This is my desk.
The neuter forms of demonstrative pronouns are used when referring to abstract ideas or when the gender of the referent is not known, or when the pronoun is not directly related to a specific noun. Note that although the neuter forms end in o, they are not masculine forms:
Esto es difĂcil.
This is difficult.
¿Qué es eso?
What is that?