Demonstrative Adjectives: This, That, These, and Those – Get Them Right

Adjetivos Demostrativos / Demonstrative Adjectives

They indicate a person, animal or thing, indicating the distance it maintains regarding the speaker.

When Something is Near

Cerca (Near)	Singular	Plural
Femenino	Esta (This)	Estas (These)
Masculino	Este (This)	Estos (These)

Examples:

• Me gusta esta camisa. / I like this shirt.
• Quiero comprar estas botas / I want to buy these boots.
• Este día es maravilloso. / This day is wonderful.
• Estos zapatos están en oferta. / These shoes are on sale.

When Something is Far

Lejos (Far)	Singular	Plural
Femenino	Esa / Aquella (That)	Esas / Aquellas (Those)
Masculino	Ese/ Aquel (That)	Esos (Those) Aquellos

Examples:

• Me gusta esa/aquella camisa. / I like that shirt.
• Quiero comprar esas/aquellas botas. / I want to buy those boots.
• No entiendo ese ejercicio. / I don’t understand that exercise.
• Ese/Aquel hombre me está viendo. / That man is looking at me.
• Esos/Aquellos perros están bravos. / Those dogs are angry
• Aquellos/Esos niños están jugando. / Those children are playing.

Pronombres Demostrativos / Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstratives “this” and “that” are not used with nouns; they are used alone, replacing them. They have the function of a neuter pronoun.

Esto/This (Near)

It is used to refer to “something indefinite that is near“.

Examples:

• ¿De quién es esto? (esto = esta cosa que está aquí). / Whose is this? (this = this thing here).
• ¡Voy a tirar todo esto a la basura! (todo esto = todas estas cosas que están aquí). / I’m going to throw all this stuff in the trash! (all this = all these things that are here).

Eso/That (Far)

It is used to refer to “something indefinite that is far away“.

Examples:

• ¿De quién es eso? (eso = eso que está allí). / Whose is that? (that = that thing over there).
• ¡Voy a tirar todo eso a la basura! (todo eso = todo eso que está allí). / I’m going to throw all that in the trash. (all that = all that’s there).

(It is also used to talk about “a situation”).

• Eso no me gusta nada. (eso = esta situación). / I don’t like that at all. (that = that situation).
• Todo eso es muy complicado. (todo eso = toda esa situación). / All that is very complicated. (all that = all that situation).