Demonstratives (este, ese, aquel)

Three Degrees of Distance

When pointing things out, English generally uses two levels of distance ("this" and "that"). Spanish, however, uses three:

• este: close to the speaker (this)
• ese: close to the listener, or a short distance away (that)
• aquel: far from both speaker and listener (that over there)

Like all adjectives in Spanish, demonstratives must match the noun they describe in gender and number.

Este and Ese

For things right next to you, use este (this). Its forms are este (masculine singular), esta (feminine singular), estos (masculine plural), and estas (feminine plural).

For things a bit further away, perhaps near the person you are talking to, use ese (that). Its forms are ese (masculine singular), esa (feminine singular), esos (masculine plural), and esas (feminine plural).

Aquel

When an object is far away from both you and the person you are talking to, you will use aquel (that over there).

The forms for "that over there" are:

• aquel (masculine singular)
• aquella (feminine singular)
• aquellos (masculine plural)
• aquellas (feminine plural)

"This One" and "That One"

You do not always have to repeat the noun. If it is clear what you are talking about from context, you can use the demonstrative all by itself as a pronoun.

When used this way, it translates to "this one", "that one", "these", or "those".

Trying Clothes On

When shopping for clothes, you will likely need to ask for el probador (the fitting room) and look for un espejo (a mirror).

To talk about trying on clothes, use the reflexive verb probarse (to try on). Since it is reflexive, remember to use the appropriate pronoun (like me) when describing your own actions.