Introduction
Introducción
Demonstratives pronouns are words that indicate a subject already understood by the speaker and listener. In English, these are words like “this” and “that”.
Spanish demonstratives are used similarly to those of English, but like most other pronoun must agree with the gender and plurality of the original subject:
este gato
this cat
esas vacas
those cows
Another major difference is that Spanish has a second set of words for “that/those” but used exclusively for distant objects, far away from both the speaker and listener:
En aquellos tiempos las cosas eran más sencillas.
In those times things were more simple.
There is also a set of gender neutral demonstrative pronouns, esto, eso and aquello that are used for abstract concepts. In conversation when there is no specific object being referred to but a generally understood experience or idea, you can use these pronouns:
Eso fue bueno.
That was good.
Spanish demonstratives are used similarly to those of English, but like most other pronoun must agree with the gender and plurality of the original subject:
este gato
this cat
esas vacas
those cows
Another major difference is that Spanish has a second set of words for “that/those” but used exclusively for distant objects, far away from both the speaker and listener:
En aquellos tiempos las cosas eran más sencillas.
In those times things were more simple.
There is also a set of gender neutral demonstrative pronouns, esto, eso and aquello that are used for abstract concepts. In conversation when there is no specific object being referred to but a generally understood experience or idea, you can use these pronouns:
Eso fue bueno.
That was good.
Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Near speaker | Singular |
éste
this
|
esto
this
|
ésta
this
|
Plural |
éstos
these
|
éstas
these
|
||
Near listener, far from speaker | Singular |
ése
that
|
ésa
that
|
|
Plural |
ésos
those
|
ésas
those
|
||
Far | Singular |
aquél
that
|
aquello
that
|
aquélla
that
|
Plural |
aquéllos
those
|
aquéllas
those
|
Related Lessons
Lecciones relacionadas
Family (Relatives)
Familia (Parientes)
How Are You?
¿Cómo Estás?
Demonstrative Adjectives
Los Adjetivos Demostrativos
Locative Adverbs
Adverbios Locativos
To Have
Tener