English has a two-way system for pointing things out: "this" (near me) and "that" (far from me). Portuguese has a three-way system based on distance from both the speaker and the listener.
Because these are determiners (words that point out or introduce nouns), they must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they describe.
Este (This - near me)
Use este for objects that are close to you (the speaker).
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | este | esta |
| Plural | estes | estas |
| This shirt is beautiful. | Esta camisa é linda. |
| These pants are very ugly. | Estas calças são muito feias. |
| I am going to buy this dress today. | Vou comprar este vestido hoje. |
Esse (That - near you)
Use esse for objects that are close to the person you are talking to. If you say "that shirt" and the listener is holding it or standing right next to it, use esse.
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | esse | essa |
| Plural | esses | essas |
| Is that dress yours? | Esse vestido é teu? |
| Are you going to buy those pants? | Vais comprar essas calças? |
Aquele (That over there - far)
Use aquele for objects that are far away from both you and the person you are talking to. Think of it as "that one over there."
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | aquele | aquela |
| Plural | aqueles | aquelas |
| That painting over there is old. | Aquele quadro é velho. |
| Those dresses over there are very expensive. | Aqueles vestidos são muito caros. |
Bringing it together
Notice how choosing between este and esse contrasts "this one right here" with "that one near you".
| This color is ugly, but that dress is beautiful. | Esta cor é feia, mas esse vestido é lindo. |
