Spanish grammar: pronombres demostrativos

What this grammar point covers

Demonstrative pronouns in Spanish are words used to point out or indicate specific people, objects, or places. They help show where something is in relation to the speaker.

When to use it

Use demonstrative pronouns in Spanish to indicate if something is near you (the speaker), near the person you are talking to, or far from both. They replace a noun that has been mentioned or is obvious from the context.

Key forms

• este, esta, estos, estas
• ese, esa, esos, esas
• aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas

Examples

Tips

• Remember to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun it replaces.
• Use 'este/esta/estos/estas' for things close to you, 'ese/esa/esos/esas' for things near the person you talk to, and 'aquel/aquella/aquellos/aquellas' for things far from both.
• Do not confuse demonstrative pronouns with demonstrative adjectives; pronouns replace the noun, while adjectives go before the noun.

Exceptions and edge cases

• In modern Spanish, demonstrative pronouns are written without an accent, but you might see older texts with accents (éste, ésa, aquél).