Este libro es interesante, pero ese libro es aburrido y aquel libro es muy antiguo.This book is interesting, but that book is boring and that book over there is very old.
Demonstrative adjectives point to a noun and say how far away it is: este for what is near the speaker, ese for what is near the listener (or not far from either of you), and aquel for what is far from both. Spanish has three levels where English has two (this and that), and each word changes for the gender and number of the noun, like an adjective.
Quick shortcut: este = this (near me), ese = that (near you), aquel = that over there (far from both). Each has four forms (este, esta, estos, estas), goes before the noun, and takes no article: este libro, not el este libro.
The forms
| Masc. singular | Fem. singular | Masc. plural | Fem. plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| this (near me) | este | esta | estos | estas |
| that (near you) | ese | esa | esos | esas |
| that over there (far from both) | aquel | aquella | aquellos | aquellas |
- este libro (this book) · esta casa (this house) · estos libros (these books) · estas casas (these houses)
- ese coche (that car) · esa mesa (that table) · esos coches (those cars) · esas mesas (those tables)
- aquel edificio (that building over there) · aquella montaña (that mountain over there) · aquellos edificios · aquellas montañas
The word agrees with the noun in gender and number, so the noun's own gender decides the form: este problema (problema is masculine), esta mano (mano is feminine). See noun gender, plural nouns and adjective agreement for the same patterns.
Three levels of distance
The three words map onto where the thing is, as seen from the people talking:
| Word | Where the thing is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| este | near the speaker | Este café está caliente. (This coffee is hot.) |
| ese | near the listener, or not far from either | Ese bolso es bonito. (That bag is pretty.) |
| aquel | far from both | Aquella casa es muy antigua. (That house over there is very old.) |
In everyday speech, many speakers use ese for anything that isn't near, and keep aquel for things clearly far away, or long ago in a story. Both are correct, and learners can rely on the three-way picture above.
No article, and the demonstrative comes first
A demonstrative goes before the noun and takes the place of the article: el libro → este libro. An adjective often goes after the noun: este libro nuevo (this new book). See adjective position for the patterns.
- Esta casa es pequeña. (This house is small.)
- Esos zapatos son cómodos. (Those shoes are comfortable.)
- Aquellas flores son muy bonitas. (Those flowers over there are very pretty.)
Like the possessive adjectives, a demonstrative doesn't combine with the article in standard Spanish: ✅ este libro, never ❌ el este libro.
Demonstratives with time
The same words also point to time: este/esta for the present period, ese and aquel for a time that is not the present one.
- esta semana (this week) · este año (this year) · esta noche (tonight)
- ese día (that day) · aquel verano (that summer, a long time ago)
A feminine noun with a stressed a-
Feminine nouns that start with a stressed a- or ha- take el instead of la in the singular (el agua, el hacha), but they are still feminine. The demonstratives don't have this special rule; they stay feminine: ✅ esta agua, ✅ esa hacha, never ❌ este agua.
What comes later
When a demonstrative stands alone instead of before a noun (Quiero este.), it works as a pronoun; that is a separate lesson, Demonstrative pronouns (este, ese, aquel as pronouns). For unidentified things or whole ideas, Spanish has the neuter forms esto, eso and aquello, covered in Neuter demonstratives (esto, eso, aquello).
Common mistakes
- ❌ el este libro → ✅ este libro (the demonstrative replaces the article)
- ❌ esta libro → ✅ este libro (libro is masculine)
- ❌ estos casas → ✅ estas casas (casas is feminine plural)
- ❌ este agua → ✅ esta agua (agua is feminine; only the article takes the form el)
- ❌ aquel montañas → ✅ aquellas montañas (plural feminine)
Quick check
Which demonstrative completes each phrase?
- ___ libro (this, near me)
- ___ casas (those, near you)
- ___ montañas (those over there, far from both)
- ___ problema (this)
- ___ agua (this)
- What is the difference between ese coche and aquel coche?
Show answers
- Este libro 2. Esas casas 3. Aquellas montañas 4. Este problema 5. Esta agua 6. ese coche is near the listener (or not far from either of you); aquel coche is far from both.
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Key takeaways
- este (near me), ese (near you) and aquel (far from both) point to a noun and show its distance.
- Each has four forms and agrees with the noun in gender and number: este, esta, estos, estas; ese, esa, esos, esas; aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas.
- A demonstrative goes before the noun and replaces the article: este libro, not el este libro.
- Feminine nouns with a stressed a- keep feminine demonstratives: esta agua.
- este and its family also point to time: esta semana, aquel verano.
- Standing alone without a noun (este, ese) is pronoun use, and esto/eso/aquello refer to something unidentified; both come in later lessons.