Demonstrative Pronouns in Spanish Grammar

What are the Spanish demonstrative pronouns?

The demonstrative pronouns (los demostrativos) in Spanish are: este, ese and aquel along with their feminine and plural forms.

We use demonstratives to identify a person, animal or thing in relation to its distance from the speaker.

While English grammar has two degrees of distance (this and that), Spanish grammar has three: aquí (here), ahí (there) and allí (further over there).

Learn about demonstratives in Spanish grammar with Lingolia, then practise using them in the exercises.

Example

Me encanta hacer senderismo, pero a menudo me confunden los mapas de las rutas.

Esta mañana he comprado el mapa de la ruta en una gasolinera y sé que tengo que ir hacia el norte, pero este camino de aquí parece que es un desvío.

Quizá ese de allí sea el correcto, aunque no lo veo en el mapa…

¿Será aquel sendero que veo entre los árboles?

¡Esta ruta está resultando demasiado difícil! Quizá este mapa sea antiguo.

Mis amigas me dijeron que llevara un mapa en el móvil. ¡Siempre recordaré ese día!

Demonstratives in Spanish grammar

Spanish demonstratives are words that accompany nouns and allow us to better specify them according to their spatial or temporal proximity.

Examples:
Este camino de aquí. This path here.
este = this
Ese camino de ahí. That path there.
ese = that
Aquel camino de allí. That path (further) over there.
aquel = that (further away)
Noun Demonstratives
aquí ahí allí
Masculine Singular este ese aquel
Plural estos esos aquellos
Feminine Singular esta esa aquella
Plural estas esas aquellas
Neutral
esto eso aquello

How to use demonstratives in Spanish

Use demonstratives before a noun to specify it according to its proximity:

  • Aquí (= here): este, esta, estos, estas (= this/these)
    Example:
    Este camino parece un desvío. This path looks like a detour.
  • Ahí (= there): ese, esa, esos, esas (= that/those)
    Example:
    ¿Cuánto cuesta ese mapa que tiene detrás de usted? How much is that map behind you?
  • Allí (= over there): aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas
    Example:
    ¿Será aquel sendero que veo entre los árboles? Is that a path I see through the trees over there?

When used with a temporal meaning, este refers to the present moment or the near future, whereas ese and aquel refer to the past.

Examples:
Voy a hacer senderismo este fin de semana. I’m going to go hiking this weekend.
¡Siempre recordaré ese día! I will always remember that day!
Cuando era pequeña, a menudo iba de ruta con mis padres. En aquella época disfrutábamos mucho al aire libre juntos. When I was young, I often went hiking with my parents. During that time we had a lot of fun being outdoors together.

Types of Spanish demonstratives

There are two types of demonstratives in Spanish: demonstrative determiners and demonstrative pronouns.

Demonstrative Determiners

Demonstrative determiners, or determinantes demostrativos, come directly before a noun and agree with it in gender and number.

Example:
Este camino parece un desvío. This path looks like a detour.
camino = masculine singular → demonstrative determiner este
¡Esta ruta está resultando demasiado difícil! This route is turning out to be too difficult!
ruta = feminine singular → demonstrative determiner esta

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns, or pronombres demostrativos, replace a previously-mentioned noun; this noun is then implicit in the sentence and the demonstrative pronoun sounds alone. Demonstrative pronouns still agree in terms of gender and number with the noun they are replacing.

Examples:
Este camino parece un desvío. Quizá ese de allí sea el correcto.This path looks like a detour. Maybe that one over there is the right one.
camino = masculin singular → demonstrative pronoun ese

Neutral Form

Demostrativos neutros are pronouns that refer to an entire clause or to an unknown element. They do not change their form to reflect gender or number.

Example:
Eso es muy interesante. That is very interesting.
Dame eso, por favor.Give me that, please.