Demonstratives point to things. Spanish has three distances where English has two:
este libro (this book — near me)
ese libro (that book — near you)
aquel libro (that book over there — far from both)
Quick rule: este = here; ese = there; aquel = way over there.
Forms of este, agreeing with the noun:
| singular | plural | |
| masculine | este coche | estos coches |
| feminine | esta casa | estas casas |
Watch out: the masculine singular is este, not "esto coche". (More on esto in slide 5.)
Ese follows the same pattern:
| singular | plural | |
| masculine | ese bolígrafo | esos bolígrafos |
| feminine | esa silla | esas sillas |
¿Me pasas ese bolígrafo? (Can you pass me that pen — the one near you?)
Aquel points to something far from both speakers:
| singular | plural | |
| masculine | aquel edificio | aquellos edificios |
| feminine | aquella montaña | aquellas montañas |
¿Ves aquella montaña? (Do you see that mountain over there?)
It is also used for distance in time: aquellos años (those years, long ago).
When you point at something unknown or abstract — no specific noun — use the neuter forms:
¿Qué es esto? (What is this? — you don't know what it is yet)
Eso no es verdad. (That is not true — referring to an idea)
Aquello fue increíble. (That [whole thing] was incredible.)
Never put a neuter form before a noun: "esto libro" is wrong — it must be este libro.
Typical shop and street usage:
— ¿Cuánto cuesta esta camiseta? (How much is this T-shirt?)
— Esa cuesta diez euros, pero aquellas de allí están de oferta. (That one costs ten euros, but those over there are on sale.)
— Prefiero estos zapatos. (I prefer these shoes.)
Demonstratives can stand alone once the noun is known: Prefiero estos. (I prefer these.)
Traps for English speakers
These are the errors English speakers make most often.