English divides the world into two zones: this is close, that is not close. Portuguese divides it into three. Este points to something in your own space — in your hand, on your desk, near you. Esse points to something in your listener's space — in their hand, on their side of the room, what they just said. Aquele points to something far from both of you — across the street, in a distant memory, on the other side of the horizon. This three-way system maps neatly onto the three grammatical persons (eu, tu, ele/ela), and once you see it that way, the logic stops feeling alien and starts feeling obvious. This page covers demonstrative determiners — the forms that sit before a noun (este livro, essa ideia, aquela casa). The pronominal uses (standing alone) and the neuter forms (isto, isso, aquilo) have their own pages.
The full paradigm
Each demonstrative agrees with its noun in gender and number, giving four forms per zone.
| Zone | Masculine sg. | Feminine sg. | Masculine pl. | Feminine pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| near speaker (this) | este | esta | estes | estas |
| near listener (that, yours) | esse | essa | esses | essas |
| far from both (that, over there) | aquele | aquela | aqueles | aquelas |
Este livro é muito interessante.
This book (in my hand, on my desk) is very interesting.
Esta revista custou dez euros.
This magazine cost ten euros.
Estes sapatos são novos.
These shoes are new.
Estas chaves são da porta de casa.
These keys are for the house door.
Esse casaco que estás a usar é bonito.
That jacket you're wearing is nice.
Essa ideia que mencionaste faz sentido.
That idea you mentioned makes sense.
Esses livros que tens na mão são meus.
Those books in your hand are mine.
Essas fotografias que me mostraste são lindas.
Those photos you showed me are beautiful.
Aquele edifício lá ao fundo é a universidade.
That building over there at the end is the university.
Aquela senhora de vestido azul é a nossa professora.
That lady in the blue dress is our teacher.
Aqueles dias em Sintra foram inesquecíveis.
Those days in Sintra were unforgettable.
Aquelas montanhas na distância são os Picos de Europa.
Those mountains in the distance are the Picos de Europa.
The three zones — physical space
At its most concrete, the system tracks physical space. Imagine pointing.
Este is for things in your immediate reach. Something you're holding, something on your own side of the table, something within your own personal bubble. English this captures it directly.
Queres ver este documento? Está aqui na minha pasta.
Do you want to see this document? It's here in my folder.
Estas calças ficam-me bem?
Do these trousers look good on me? (speaker is wearing them)
Esse is for things close to your listener. Something they are holding, something on their side of the table, something in their hand or on their person. English translates this as that, and here is where the first confusion for English-speakers kicks in: the single English that can refer to the listener's side (where Portuguese uses esse) or to something far from both (where Portuguese uses aquele). Portuguese insists on distinguishing.
Esse livro que estás a ler é muito bom.
That book you're reading is very good.
Podes dar-me essa caneta que tens na mão?
Can you give me that pen you have in your hand?
Esses óculos ficam-te bem.
Those glasses suit you. (you're wearing them)
Aquele is for things far from both of you. Across the room, down the street, in another country, on the other side of the horizon. English that or that (over there). Portuguese is unambiguous: if neither speaker nor listener is close to the referent, the word is aquele.
Vês aquele prédio alto? É lá que trabalho.
Do you see that tall building over there? That's where I work.
Aquela árvore na outra margem do rio tem cem anos.
That tree on the other bank of the river is a hundred years old.
Quem é aquele homem de barba?
Who is that man with the beard? (pointed out at a distance)
The three zones — time
Now the logic leaves physical space and enters time. The same spatial metaphor governs temporal demonstratives.
Este in time means "now, this very period — the one I'm in." Este ano = this year (the year we are currently in). Esta semana = this week. Este momento = right now.
Este ano tem sido difícil para muita gente.
This year has been tough for many people.
Esta semana vou ao Porto a trabalho.
This week I'm going to Porto for work.
Neste momento, não posso falar.
Right now, I can't talk. (em + este = neste)
Neste verão, esteve muito calor.
This summer, it was very hot.
Esse in time means "the time you just mentioned, or a recently discussed period." It picks up a time reference from the conversational context.
Disseste que foste a Paris em 2019 — nesse ano, estive lá também.
You said you went to Paris in 2019 — in that year, I was there too. (em + esse = nesse)
Naquela altura? Não, quero dizer nessa altura que descreveste.
In that period (distant)? No, I mean in the time you described. (nessa = em + essa)
Esse dia foi especial para todos nós.
That day (you mentioned) was special for all of us.
Aquele in time means "that distant, remote period — a time further back in memory or historical time." Aquele tempo = those (distant) times. Naqueles anos = in those years (long ago).
Naquele tempo, ninguém tinha telemóvel.
Back in those days, nobody had a mobile phone. (em + aquele = naquele)
Aquela época foi o auge da minha juventude.
That era was the peak of my youth.
Aqueles dias em Lisboa, em 1974, mudaram tudo.
Those days in Lisbon, in 1974, changed everything.
Lembras-te daquele verão em Nazaré? (de + aquele = daquele)
Do you remember that summer in Nazaré? (distant past)
The temporal logic follows the spatial one with eerie consistency. Este is close (present); esse is the listener's frame (recently mentioned); aquele is distant (remote past). Learners who try to shortcut by using esse for everything distant end up sounding awkward. Save aquele for things that are genuinely remote.
The three zones — discourse
Beyond physical space and time, the three-way system structures written and spoken discourse. In careful writing, este picks up the most recently mentioned or the about-to-be-mentioned, while aquele picks up the earlier mention.
Conheci o João e o Pedro. Este é médico; aquele, professor.
I met João and Pedro. The latter (= Pedro, last mentioned) is a doctor; the former (= João, first mentioned), a teacher.
Tenho duas notícias: esta é boa, aquela é má.
I have two pieces of news: this one (the one I'll tell next) is good, that one is bad.
This is the Portuguese equivalent of "the latter / the former." It is a formal, slightly literary construction; in spoken Portuguese, people just repeat the names.
Esse is often the discourse marker for "the thing you just said." It picks up a claim, an idea, a fact that your interlocutor has introduced.
Essa afirmação não é verdadeira.
That claim (of yours) is not true.
Não concordo com essa análise.
I disagree with that analysis (which you made).
English uses that for all of these; Portuguese pins down the fact that the claim, question, or analysis belongs to the listener's side of the conversation.
Demonstrative determiner vs. demonstrative pronoun
Every demonstrative works in two syntactic roles: as a determiner (before a noun, modifying it — este livro) and as a pronoun (standing alone, replacing the noun — este é o meu). The form does not change between the two uses; the difference is purely in what follows.
Este livro é interessante. (determiner — modifies 'livro')
This book is interesting.
Este é interessante. (pronoun — noun implied)
This one is interesting.
Aquela camisa está gasta. (determiner)
That shirt is worn.
Aquela está gasta. (pronoun)
That one is worn.
When in doubt, look at whether a noun follows. If yes, you are dealing with a determiner. If no, it is a pronoun. This page focuses on the determiner use; the pronoun use has a companion page with more examples.
The neuter forms — isto, isso, aquilo
When the referent is abstract, unspecified, or not yet a named noun, Portuguese uses the invariable neuter forms — isto, isso, aquilo. These never take a noun after them; they stand alone. They map onto the same three zones.
Isto é um problema sério.
This is a serious problem. (abstract, near speaker)
Isso que disseste não faz sentido.
That (what you said) doesn't make sense.
Aquilo que aconteceu ontem foi inacreditável.
That (thing) which happened yesterday was unbelievable. (remote event)
Because this page is about determiners, we only preview the neuter forms here. For detailed treatment, see the dedicated pronoun page.
Mandatory contractions with prepositions
Demonstratives contract obligatorily with the prepositions de (of/from), em (in/on), and a (to/at) when a meets an aquele-series form. These contractions are not optional — leaving them uncontracted is a spelling error.
| de (of/from) | em (in/on) | a (to/at) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| este / esta / estes / estas | deste, desta, destes, destas | neste, nesta, nestes, nestas | a este, a esta, a estes, a estas (no contraction) |
| esse / essa / esses / essas | desse, dessa, desses, dessas | nesse, nessa, nesses, nessas | a esse, a essa, a esses, a essas (no contraction) |
| aquele / aquela / aqueles / aquelas | daquele, daquela, daqueles, daquelas | naquele, naquela, naqueles, naquelas | àquele, àquela, àqueles, àquelas |
Notice the grave accent on à in the bottom-right corner of the table. The preposition a fuses with aquele-series demonstratives only, and the fusion is marked by a grave accent on the a — àquele, àquela, àqueles, àquelas, àquilo. This grave accent is not decorative; it is mandatory, and it is the orthographic trace of the vowel merger (a + a → à).
Gosto muito desta cidade.
I really like this city. (de + esta = desta)
Nesse dia, não estava em casa.
On that day, I wasn't at home. (em + esse = nesse)
Naquela altura, ainda vivia com os meus pais.
At that time, I still lived with my parents. (em + aquela = naquela)
Referes-te àquele incidente do ano passado?
Are you referring to that incident from last year? (a + aquele = àquele)
Prestei atenção àquelas instruções.
I paid attention to those instructions. (a + aquelas = àquelas)
For complete coverage of the contraction system and the grave-accent logic, see the companion page on demonstrative contractions.
Demonstratives stacked with possessives
Portuguese does not allow you to freely stack a demonstrative and a possessive before a noun. You cannot say este o meu livro or o este meu livro. If you need both ideas, one of three strategies applies:
Strategy 1 — Postpose the possessive (indefinite flavour):
Este livro meu está cheio de notas.
This book of mine is full of notes. (emphatic, slightly marked)
Aqueles colegas teus chegaram tarde.
Those colleagues of yours arrived late.
Strategy 2 — Use de + pronoun (clearer, more natural):
Este livro é meu.
This book is mine.
Aquela casa é dela.
That house (over there) is hers.
Strategy 3 — Drop one of the two (simplest):
O meu livro está cheio de notas.
My book is full of notes. (no demonstrative)
Este livro está cheio de notas.
This book is full of notes. (no possessive)
In ordinary speech, strategies 2 and 3 are by far the most common. Strategy 1 — the postposed possessive — has an emphatic or slightly literary feel.
Register — neutral, but aquele can carry weight
All three demonstratives are neutral across registers — formal, informal, written, spoken. Nothing about the choice of este, esse, aquele marks you as elevated or casual. However, aquele often carries emotional weight in spoken Portuguese: it can be admiring, nostalgic, dismissive, or emphatic, depending on tone and context.
(neutral) Aquele filme foi longo.
That film was long.
(admiring) Ah, aquele filme! Que obra-prima!
Ah, that film! What a masterpiece!
(negative) Aquele tipo ainda me telefonou ontem.
That guy — ugh — called me yesterday.
(nostalgic) Aqueles verões em Cascais...
Those summers in Cascais...
This emotional weight is similar to English that with stress (that guy! that film! those days!). Portuguese-speakers use aquele as the emotional demonstrative.
PT-PT vs. BR — the three-way system is an EP marker
European Portuguese keeps the three-way system clean and productive in both speech and writing. Brazilian Portuguese, in colloquial speech, often collapses este/esse — many BR speakers use esse for things near themselves, where EP would say este. You will hear a BR speaker say esse livro while pointing at a book in their own hand; an EP speaker would say este livro.
The written standard in both varieties preserves the three-way system, but the colloquial BR tendency is well-known. Learners of EP should resist any BR habit of using esse for everything near. In Portugal, este is the book in your hand, esse is the book in the listener's hand, aquele is the book across the room. Getting this right is a small but clear marker of European Portuguese.
(EP, correct) Este livro que tenho aqui é o meu favorito.
This book I have here is my favourite. (near speaker → este)
(BR colloquial tendency) Esse livro que tenho aqui é o meu favorito.
Same meaning, but uses 'esse' for near-speaker — a BR habit.
(EP, correct) Passa-me esse livro que tens aí.
Pass me that book you have there. (near listener → esse)
Comparison with Spanish and French
For learners from other Romance languages, here is the alignment:
| Portuguese | Spanish | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| este (near speaker) | este | ce (+ -ci emphatic) | this |
| esse (near listener) | ese | ce (neutral, ambiguous) | that (yours) |
| aquele (far from both) | aquel | ce (+ -là emphatic) | that (over there) |
Spanish-speakers already have the three-way system and only need to adjust vocabulary. French-speakers face a harder task: French ce is ambiguous across all three zones unless reinforced with -ci or -là. English-speakers have a two-way system and need to learn when English that covers esse and when it covers aquele.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using esse where este is required
English-speakers often think "that book in my hand" needs esse because in English it feels natural to say "that book." In EP, if the book is in your own hand, it is este.
❌ Esse livro que tenho aqui é excelente.
Incorrect — if the book is in your own hand, use 'este'.
✅ Este livro que tenho aqui é excelente.
This book I have here is excellent.
Mistake 2: Using esse where aquele is required
The most common English-speaker error: using esse for things far from both speaker and listener. Esse is the listener's zone; aquele is the far zone.
❌ Vês essa montanha lá ao fundo?
Incorrect — the mountain is far from both of you, so it's 'aquela', not 'essa'.
✅ Vês aquela montanha lá ao fundo?
Do you see that mountain over there at the end?
❌ Nessa casa onde vivias em 1995...
Possibly incorrect — if 1995 is genuinely remote, use 'naquela'.
✅ Naquela casa onde vivias em 1995...
In that house where you lived in 1995...
Mistake 3: Using este for distant past
Este is the present period. Using it for distant past creates a logical contradiction.
❌ Neste tempo, eu era criança.
Incorrect — 'neste tempo' would mean 'in this current time'. For distant past, use 'naquele tempo'.
✅ Naquele tempo, eu era criança.
In those days, I was a child.
❌ Este ano passado, fui a Paris.
Incorrect — 'este' and 'passado' contradict each other.
✅ No ano passado, fui a Paris.
Last year, I went to Paris.
Mistake 4: Forgetting to contract with prepositions
The contraction is mandatory. De este, em esse, a aquele are spelling errors.
❌ Gosto muito de este vinho.
Incorrect — must contract: 'deste'.
✅ Gosto muito deste vinho.
I really like this wine.
❌ Vou a aquele restaurante novo.
Incorrect — must contract: 'àquele' (with grave accent).
✅ Vou àquele restaurante novo.
I'm going to that new restaurant.
Mistake 5: Agreement failures
The demonstrative must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
❌ Este casa é bonita.
Incorrect — 'casa' is feminine, so 'esta casa'.
✅ Esta casa é bonita.
This house is beautiful.
❌ Aquela livros são caros.
Incorrect — 'livros' is masculine plural, so 'aqueles livros'.
✅ Aqueles livros são caros.
Those books are expensive.
Mistake 6: Stacking demonstrative and possessive incorrectly
Portuguese does not allow este meu livro or este o meu livro as a neutral construction. Pick one strategy.
❌ Este o meu livro está gasto.
Incorrect — cannot stack demonstrative and article+possessive.
✅ Este livro meu está gasto.
This book of mine is worn out. (emphatic)
✅ Este livro é meu e está gasto.
This book is mine and it's worn out. (predicate)
✅ O meu livro está gasto.
My book is worn out. (simpler)
Key Takeaways
- Portuguese has a three-way demonstrative system, not two. Este = near me; esse = near you; aquele = far from both.
- Each zone has four forms, agreeing with the noun in gender and number: este/esta/estes/estas, esse/essa/esses/essas, aquele/aquela/aqueles/aquelas.
- The system applies to physical space (in your hand vs. in listener's hand vs. across the room), time (this year vs. that day you mentioned vs. those remote times), and discourse (about to say vs. you just said vs. mentioned earlier).
- The neuter forms — isto, isso, aquilo — are invariable and used for abstract or unspecified referents.
- Contractions with prepositions are mandatory: deste, neste, àquele, daquela, naquelas. The grave accent on à marks the a + a fusion and is never optional.
- You cannot stack a demonstrative and a possessive freely — use postposed possessive (este livro meu), use de + pronoun (este livro é meu), or drop one.
- Aquele often carries emotional weight in spoken Portuguese — admiration, nostalgia, emphasis.
- The three-way distinction is an EP marker. Colloquial Brazilian Portuguese often collapses este/esse; EP keeps them sharp.
- Common errors: using esse for your own side (wrong — it's este); using esse for distant things (wrong — it's aquele); using este for distant past (wrong — it's aquele).
Related Topics
- Determiners in Portuguese: An OverviewA1 — What determiners are, the families of determiners in European Portuguese, and how they combine with nouns — a map of the group.
- The Definite Article: Forms and Basic UsesA1 — The four forms of the Portuguese definite article (o, a, os, as) and the contexts where European Portuguese requires it — including several where English leaves it out.
- Possessive Determiners: Forms and AgreementA1 — The Portuguese possessive paradigm — meu, teu, seu, nosso, vosso — forms, gender and number agreement with the possessed noun, and the PT-PT productive use of vosso.
- Demonstrative Pronouns (Este, Esse, Aquele)A2 — Portuguese has three degrees of demonstrative, not two — a pointer system based on proximity to speaker, listener, and everyone else
- Demonstrative Contractions (Deste, Nesse, Àquele)A2 — How prepositions de, em, and a fuse with demonstratives to form deste, neste, àquele — the mandatory contractions of Portuguese
- Isto, Isso, Aquilo (Neuter Demonstratives)A2 — The three invariable neuter demonstratives — used for abstract ideas, unidentified objects, and situations rather than specific gendered nouns