Pointing Things Out with Este, Ese, and Aquel

Pointing Things Out with Este, Ese, and Aquel

Spanish demonstratives help you point out or identify people and things. In this lesson, you will learn the three main distance ideas represented by este — this, ese — that, and aquel — that over there.

The basic contrast is:

• este — this, near the speaker
• ese — that, farther from the speaker or near the listener
• aquel — that over there, far from both the speaker and the listener

Using este for something near you

Use este — this with a masculine singular noun that is close to the speaker.

• este libro — this book
• este café — this coffee
• este restaurante — this restaurant
• este teléfono — this phone

For example:

Este libro es interesante. — This book is interesting.

Este café es bueno. — This coffee is good.

Using ese for something farther away

Use ese — that with a masculine singular noun that is farther from the speaker, often near the listener or at a moderate distance.

• ese libro — that book
• ese café — that coffee
• ese restaurante — that restaurant
• ese teléfono — that phone

For example:

Ese libro es interesante. — That book is interesting.

Ese restaurante es bueno. — That restaurant is good.

Using aquel for something far away

Use aquel — that over there with a masculine singular noun that is clearly far from both the speaker and the listener.

• aquel libro — that book over there
• aquel café — that café over there
• aquel restaurante — that restaurant over there
• aquel hotel — that hotel over there

For example:

Aquel hotel es grande. — That hotel over there is large.

Aquel restaurante es caro. — That restaurant over there is expensive.

Comparing the three distances

Spanish	English	Typical distance
este	this	near the speaker
ese	that	farther from the speaker or near the listener
aquel	that over there	far from both

The exact physical distance depends on the situation, but this three-part contrast is a useful beginner model.

Demonstratives agree with the noun

Like adjectives, demonstrative words change to agree with the noun in gender and number.

Distance	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural
near	este — this	esta — this	estos — these	estas — these
middle	ese — that	esa — that	esos — those	esas — those
far	aquel — that over there	aquella — that over there	aquellos — those over there	aquellas — those over there

Neutral forms: esto, eso, and aquello

Spanish also has three neutral demonstratives:

• esto — this / this thing or situation
• eso — that / that thing or situation
• aquello — that over there / that distant thing or situation

Use these forms when you are pointing to something that you are not naming with a specific noun, or when you refer to a whole situation or idea.

Person A: ¿Qué es esto? — What is this?

Person B: Esto es un teléfono. — This is a phone.

Person A: ¿Qué es eso? — What is that?

Person B: Eso es una llave. — That is a key.

Person A: ¿Qué es aquello? — What is that over there?

Person B: Aquello es un hotel. — That over there is a hotel.

Known noun versus neutral reference

Compare:

• este libro — this book
• esto — this / this thing
• esa camisa — that shirt
• eso — that / that thing or situation
• aquel hotel — that hotel over there
• aquello — that over there / that distant thing or situation

Este, ese, aquel and their feminine or plural forms go with a known noun and agree with it. Esto, eso, and aquello are neutral: they do not go directly before a noun, and they are not masculine versions of the other forms.

Using esta with feminine singular nouns

Use esta — this with a feminine singular noun near the speaker.

• esta mesa — this table
• esta silla — this chair
• esta camisa — this shirt
• esta farmacia — this pharmacy

For example:

Esta mesa es pequeña. — This table is small.

Using esa with feminine singular nouns

Use esa — that with a feminine singular noun farther from the speaker.

• esa mesa — that table
• esa silla — that chair
• esa camisa — that shirt
• esa farmacia — that pharmacy

For example:

Esa silla es grande. — That chair is large.

Using aquella with feminine singular nouns

Use aquella — that over there with a feminine singular noun that is clearly far away.

• aquella mesa — that table over there
• aquella silla — that chair over there
• aquella farmacia — that pharmacy over there
• aquella estación — that station over there

For example:

Aquella estación está lejos. — That station over there is far away.

Using estos and estas for things near you

Use estos — these with masculine plural nouns and estas — these with feminine plural nouns.

• estos libros — these books
• estos cafés — these coffees
• estas mesas — these tables
• estas sillas — these chairs

For example:

Estos libros son interesantes. — These books are interesting.

Estas sillas son pequeñas. — These chairs are small.

Using esos and esas for plural things farther away

• esos libros — those books
• esos cafés — those coffees
• esas mesas — those tables
• esas sillas — those chairs

For example:

Esos libros son caros. — Those books are expensive.

Esas mesas son grandes. — Those tables are large.

Using aquellos and aquellas for plural things far away

• aquellos libros — those books over there
• aquellos restaurantes — those restaurants over there
• aquellas mesas — those tables over there
• aquellas tiendas — those shops over there

For example:

Aquellos restaurantes son caros. — Those restaurants over there are expensive.

Aquellas tiendas están lejos. — Those shops over there are far away.

Using demonstratives with familiar shopping vocabulary

Demonstratives are especially useful when you are choosing between visible items.

• Quiero este libro. — I want this book.
• Quiero esa camisa. — I want that shirt.
• Prefiero aquel café. — I prefer that café over there.
• Quiero estas sillas. — I want these chairs.

The demonstrative identifies exactly which item you mean.

Asking about a specific item

You can combine familiar question language with demonstratives.

• ¿Cuánto cuesta este libro? — How much does this book cost?
• ¿Cuánto cuesta esa camisa? — How much does that shirt cost?
• ¿Cuánto cuesta aquel teléfono? — How much does that phone over there cost?

This is useful when several similar items are visible.

Pointing out places

You can also use demonstratives with familiar neighborhood places.

• Este banco está aquí. — This bank is here.
• Esa farmacia está al lado del parque. — That pharmacy is next to the park.
• Aquel hospital está lejos. — That hospital over there is far away.

The demonstrative helps distinguish one place from another.

Choosing between visible options

Read this short exchange:

Person A: ¿Qué prefieres, este libro o ese libro? — What do you prefer, this book or that book?

Person B: Prefiero este libro. — I prefer this book.

Another example:

Person A: ¿Qué prefieres, esta mesa o aquella mesa? — What do you prefer, this table or that table over there?

Person B: Prefiero aquella mesa. — I prefer that table over there.

Do not choose the form only by distance

You must consider both distance and noun agreement.

For example:

• este libro — this book
• esta mesa — this table
• estos libros — these books
• estas mesas — these tables

All four refer to things near the speaker, but the form changes with gender and number.

Choosing the correct demonstrative step by step

Use this sequence:

1. Decide whether the thing is near, farther away, or far away.
2. Identify whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
3. Identify whether the noun is singular or plural.
4. If you are naming a known noun, choose the agreeing demonstrative form.
5. If you are pointing to an unnamed thing or whole situation, use esto, eso, or aquello instead.

A short practical conversation

Person A: ¿Te gusta esta camisa? — Do you like this shirt?

Person B: Sí, me gusta. — Yes, I like it.

Person A: ¿Y esa camisa? — And that shirt?

Person B: No, prefiero esta camisa. — No, I prefer this shirt.

This type of exchange is common when comparing visible items.

From Demonstratives to Clothes, Colors, Sizes, and Materials

You can now use este, ese, aquel and their agreeing forms to point out nearby, farther, and distant people or things. The next lesson introduces clothes, colors, sizes, and basic materials so you can describe and compare items more precisely.