Aquilo é novo.

That over there is new.

Breakdown of Aquilo é novo.

• ser: to be
• novo: new
• aquilo: that over there (neutral pronoun)

Questions & Answers about Aquilo é novo.

What does aquilo mean, and how is it different from isso or isto?

Aquilo is a demonstrative pronoun used for that over there or that thing when it is farther away from the speaker and listener, or when the thing is more abstract or less specifically identified.

A very simple way to think about the three common forms is:

• isto = this
• isso = that
• aquilo = that over there / that thing over there

In Brazilian Portuguese, isto is less common in everyday speech than isso, but aquilo is still useful when you want to point to something more distant or less immediate.

Why does the sentence use aquilo instead of aquele?

Because aquilo is a neutral pronoun. It is used when you are referring to:

• something whose noun is not being stated
• an idea, situation, or unidentified thing
• something without specifying grammatical gender

By contrast:

• aquele = that for a masculine singular noun
• aquela = that for a feminine singular noun

For example:

• Aquele carro é novo. = That car is new.
• Aquela casa é nova. = That house is new.
• Aquilo é novo. = That thing / that over there is new.