Spanish Demonstrative Pronouns: Este, Ese, Aquel and Esto
Learn how Spanish demonstrative pronouns replace nouns and point to people, things, ideas or situations. This guide explains este, esta, estos, estas, ese, esa, esos, esas, aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas, and the neutral forms esto, eso and aquello.
Why Spanish demonstrative pronouns matter
Demonstrative pronouns help you point to something without repeating the noun: Este es mío, Esa es tuya, Aquellos son caros. They are especially important in conversations, comparisons and explanations because they show distance: near me, near you, or far from both of us.
How to use this page
Use this page after learning nouns, articles and demonstrative determiners. First learn the three-distance system, then study agreement, neutral forms and the difference between este libro and este.
Use este for near the speaker, ese for near the listener or less near, and aquel for far away.
Demonstrative pronouns agree with the noun they replace: el libro → este, la casa → esta.
Use esto, eso and aquello when there is no specific masculine or feminine noun.
The core system: this one, that one and that one over there
Este, esta, estos, estas
Use these for people or things near the speaker.
Este es mío. · Estas son nuevas.
Ese, esa, esos, esas
Use these for people or things near the listener, already mentioned or less near.
Ese es tuyo. · Esas son difíciles.
Aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
Use these for people or things far from both speaker and listener, physically or mentally.
Aquel es caro. · Aquellas son antiguas.
Spanish demonstrative pronouns at a glance
Demonstrative pronouns replace a noun. They agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
| Distance | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine plural | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near the speaker | este | esta | estos | estas | esto |
| Near the listener / less near | ese | esa | esos | esas | eso |
| Far away / distant | aquel | aquella | aquellos | aquellas | aquello |
Este, esta, estos and estas
Este, esta, estos and estas refer to people or things near the speaker. They mean “this one” or “these ones”.
| Replaced noun | Pronoun | Example | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| el libro | este | Este es interesante. | This one is interesting. |
| la casa | esta | Esta es grande. | This one is big. |
| los libros | estos | Estos son nuevos. | These ones are new. |
| las casas | estas | Estas son antiguas. | These ones are old. |
Este es mi cuaderno. — This one is my notebook.
Esta es mi mochila. — This one is my backpack.
Estos son mis libros. — These ones are my books.
Estas son mis llaves. — These ones are my keys.
Ese, esa, esos and esas
Ese, esa, esos and esas refer to people or things near the listener, already mentioned, or less close to the speaker. They mean “that one” or “those ones”.
| Replaced noun | Pronoun | Example | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| el coche | ese | Ese es caro. | That one is expensive. |
| la silla | esa | Esa es cómoda. | That one is comfortable. |
| los zapatos | esos | Esos son tuyos. | Those ones are yours. |
| las preguntas | esas | Esas son difíciles. | Those ones are difficult. |
¿Quieres este o ese? — Do you want this one or that one?
Esa no es mi casa. — That one is not my house.
Esos son mejores. — Those ones are better.
Esas no me gustan. — I do not like those ones.
Aquel, aquella, aquellos and aquellas
Aquel, aquella, aquellos and aquellas refer to something farther away, either physically, emotionally, historically or in discourse. They mean “that one over there” or “those ones over there”.
| Replaced noun | Pronoun | Example | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| el edificio | aquel | Aquel es antiguo. | That one over there is old. |
| la montaña | aquella | Aquella es más alta. | That one over there is higher. |
| los árboles | aquellos | Aquellos son enormes. | Those ones over there are huge. |
| las casas | aquellas | Aquellas son muy viejas. | Those ones over there are very old. |
Aquel forms are also common when talking about distant memories or past periods: Aquellos fueron años difíciles.
Esto, eso and aquello
Esto, eso and aquello are neutral demonstrative pronouns. They do not refer to a masculine or feminine noun. They often refer to an idea, situation, unknown thing or whole statement.
| Neutral form | Distance | Example | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| esto | Near the speaker | Esto es importante. | This is important. |
| eso | Near the listener / mentioned idea | Eso no es verdad. | That is not true. |
| aquello | Distant idea, situation or memory | Aquello fue difícil. | That was difficult. |
Esto no me gusta. — I do not like this.
¿Qué es eso? — What is that?
Aquello cambió mi vida. — That changed my life.
Neutral forms do not have plural forms and do not take masculine or feminine endings: esto, eso, aquello.
Demonstrative pronouns vs demonstrative determiners
Demonstrative determiners come before a noun: este libro, esa casa, aquellos árboles. Demonstrative pronouns replace the noun: este, esa, aquellos.
| Demonstrative determiner | Demonstrative pronoun | Meaning | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| este libro | este | this book / this one | The determiner introduces the noun; the pronoun replaces it. |
| esa casa | esa | that house / that one | Esa agrees with casa. |
| aquellos libros | aquellos | those books over there / those ones over there | Aquellos replaces a masculine plural noun. |
| estas preguntas | estas | these questions / these ones | Estas replaces a feminine plural noun. |
Learn noun-based demonstratives here: Spanish Demonstrative Determiners.
Do Spanish demonstrative pronouns need accents?
Modern Spanish normally writes demonstrative pronouns without accents: este, ese, aquel, esta, esa, aquella. Older materials may show accented forms such as éste, ése or aquél, but the current learner-friendly standard is to write them without accents.
Este es mío. — This one is mine.
Ese es tuyo. — That one is yours.
Aquel es suyo. — That one over there is his/hers/yours/theirs.
The neutral forms esto, eso and aquello are never written with an accent.
Distance: physical, emotional and textual
Spanish demonstratives can show physical distance, emotional distance, time distance or distance in a conversation. This makes the three-level system useful beyond pointing at visible objects.
| Use | Example | Meaning | Distance logic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical distance | Este es más barato que aquel. | This one is cheaper than that one over there. | Near vs far. |
| Conversation | Eso no es correcto. | That is not correct. | Refers to what was just said. |
| Memory | Aquello fue inolvidable. | That was unforgettable. | Distant past or remembered situation. |
| Immediate topic | Esto es importante. | This is important. | Current topic or present situation. |
Agreement with the noun being replaced
Demonstrative pronouns agree with the noun they replace. This means gender and number come from the hidden or previously mentioned noun.
| Hidden noun | Correct pronoun | Example | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| el curso | este | Este es fácil. | Curso is masculine singular. |
| la clase | esta | Esta es útil. | Clase is feminine singular. |
| los ejercicios | estos | Estos son difíciles. | Ejercicios is masculine plural. |
| las preguntas | estas | Estas son importantes. | Preguntas is feminine plural. |
If there is no clear noun, use a neutral form: esto, eso or aquello.
Using demonstrative pronouns in comparisons
Demonstrative pronouns are common when comparing two or more things. They let you avoid repeating the noun.
Este es más barato que ese. — This one is cheaper than that one.
Esta es mejor que aquella. — This one is better than that one over there.
Estos son más útiles que esos. — These ones are more useful than those ones.
Aquellas son más antiguas que estas. — Those ones over there are older than these ones.
This use connects demonstrative pronouns with Spanish comparison structures.
When to use Spanish demonstrative pronouns
Use este, esta, estos, estas
Use these when the person or thing is near you or part of the current focus.
Este es mío. · Estas son nuevas.
Use ese, esa, esos, esas
Use these for something near the listener or something already mentioned.
Eso no es verdad. · Ese es tuyo.
Use aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
Use these for physical distance, time distance or emotional distance.
Aquello fue importante. · Aquella es antigua.
Related grammar topics
Spanish Pronouns
Learn how Spanish pronouns replace or refer to people, things and ideas.
Demonstrative Determiners
Compare este libro, esa casa and aquellos árboles with este, esa and aquellos.
Possessive Pronouns
Use demonstratives with possessives: Este es mío, Esa es tuya, Aquellos son suyos.
Spanish Nouns
Demonstrative pronouns agree with the noun they replace.
Spanish Adjectives
Demonstratives and adjectives both show gender and number agreement.
Sentence Structures
Use demonstrative pronouns in statements, questions, comparisons and explanations.
Typical mistakes with Spanish demonstrative pronouns
- Confusing pronouns and determiners: este libro means “this book”; este means “this one”.
- Forgetting gender agreement: say esta for a feminine noun such as casa, not este.
- Forgetting plural agreement: say estos or estas when replacing plural nouns.
- Using esto for a known feminine noun: if the noun is la casa, use esta, not esto.
- Adding old accent marks automatically: modern Spanish normally writes este, ese and aquel without accents.
- Overusing aquel: use aquel mainly for real distance, time distance, emotional distance or strong contrast.
Where to go next
After demonstrative pronouns, continue with demonstrative determiners, possessive pronouns and noun agreement. These topics explain the difference between “this book”, “this one”, “mine” and agreement with hidden nouns.
Want personal guidance?
If Spanish demonstrative pronouns feel confusing, individual guidance can help you practise este, ese, aquel, esto, eso, aquello, agreement, distance, neutral forms and the difference between pronouns and determiners.
FAQ: Spanish demonstrative pronouns
What are Spanish demonstrative pronouns?
Spanish demonstrative pronouns replace a noun and point to distance. Examples include este, esta, ese, esa, aquel, aquella, esto, eso and aquello.
What is the difference between este, ese and aquel?
Este refers to something near the speaker. Ese refers to something near the listener, already mentioned or less near. Aquel refers to something farther away.
What is the difference between este and esto?
Este is masculine singular and replaces a masculine noun such as libro. Esto is neutral and refers to an idea, situation or unknown thing.
Do Spanish demonstrative pronouns need accents?
Modern Spanish normally writes demonstrative pronouns without accents: este, ese, aquel. Neutral forms esto, eso and aquello are never accented.
What is the difference between demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative determiners?
Demonstrative determiners come before a noun: este libro. Demonstrative pronouns replace the noun: este.
Do demonstrative pronouns agree in Spanish?
Yes. Demonstrative pronouns agree with the noun they replace in gender and number: este, esta, estos, estas.
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