A demonstrative after the noun
Ese normally goes before its noun: ese chico. In everyday speech it can also follow the noun, with the article in front: el chico ese, la canción esa. Said this way it often sounds distant or dismissive, like English that guy said with a frown.
| before the noun | after the noun |
|---|---|
| ese chico | el chico ese (colloquial, often dismissive) |
| esa canción | la canción esa |
| aquellos veranos | los veranos aquellos (far back, often nostalgic) |
The speaker doesn't like the look of him:
| Who is that guy talking to your sister? | ¿Quién es el tipo ese que habla con tu hermana? |
Tired of hearing it:
| That song again? I can't stand it. | ¿Otra vez la canción esa? No la soporto. |
Aquel and the past
With aquel after a time word (tiempos, años, veranos) the tone is not rude but far away: a time you remember, often fondly. After a person (el tipo aquel) it can sound dismissive too.
The set phrase for Those were the days!:
| Those were the days! | ¡Qué tiempos aquellos! |
A childhood memory:
| I often think back to those summers in the village. | Me acuerdo mucho de los veranos aquellos en el pueblo. |
Esto points ahead, eso points back
The neuter esto and eso can stand for a whole idea rather than a thing. Esto usually announces what you are about to say; eso usually picks up what was just said or done.
The news comes after the colon:
| Listen to this: they have given me the job. | Escucha esto: me han dado el trabajo. |
Eso is the lie:
| You have lied to me, and that hurts me. | Me has mentido, y eso me duele. |
Common mistakes
- chico ese → keep the article: el chico ese.
- ese chico ese → one demonstrative is enough: ese chico or el chico ese.
