Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives show which noun you are talking about by pointing to its location relative to the speaker. They must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Key Forms
The basic demonstrative adjectives in Spanish come in three sets: este (this), ese (that), and aquel (that over there. Each set has four forms to match masculine/feminine and singular/plural nouns.
Este (this)
Use este and its feminine and plural forms to refer to something near the speaker.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| este coche | this car |
| esta casa | this house |
| estos coches | these cars |
| estas casas | these houses |
Ese (that)
Use ese and its forms to refer to something near the listener or slightly farther from the speaker.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| ese coche | that car |
| esa casa | that house |
| esos coches | those cars |
| esas casas | those houses |
Aquel (that over there)
Use aquel and its forms to point to something farther from both the speaker and listener.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| aquel coche | that car over there |
| aquella casa | that house over there |
| aquellos coches | those cars over there |
| aquellas casas | those houses over there |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧴 Este frasco es mío. | This bottle is mine. |
| 🧴 Ese frasco está cerca de ti. | That bottle is near you. |
| 🧴 Aquel frasco queda en la esquina. | That bottle over there is on the corner. |
| 🧴 Esta etiqueta es muy colorida. | This label is very colorful. |
| 🧴 Esa etiqueta está un poco arrugada. | That label is a bit wrinkled. |
| 🧴 Aquella etiqueta se ve desde lejos. | That label can be seen from afar. |
Usage
Demonstrative adjectives always go before the noun and agree in gender and number. They help listeners identify exactly which item you mean by indicating relative distance.
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🧴 Compré este aceite hoy. | I bought this oil today. | Close to speaker |
| 🧴 ¿Me pasas ese jabón? | Can you pass me that soap? | Near listener |
| 🧴 Miré aquel cartel desde la calle. | I saw that sign from the street. | Far from both |
| 🧴 Estos frascos están en oferta. | These bottles are on sale. | Plural, close |
| 🧴 Esos estantes necesitan reorganizarse. | Those shelves need to be reorganized. | Plural, near listener |
| 🧴 Aquellos camiones cargan muchísimas cajas. | Those trucks are carrying many boxes. | Plural, far away |
Summary
Remember the three basic sets: este (this, near speaker), ese (that, near listener or slightly farther), and aquel (that over there, farther away). Match the form to the noun's gender and number, and place the adjective before the noun.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025