Spanish grammar: adjetivos demostrativos

What this grammar point covers

Demonstrative adjectives in Spanish are words used before a noun to indicate which person or thing you are talking about, showing how close or far it is from the speaker.

When to use it

Use these adjectives when you want to point out something specific and show its distance from you: 'este' for something close, 'ese' for something at a medium distance, and 'aquel' for something far away.

Key forms

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

Examples

Tips

• Remember that the adjective must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun.
• Do not confuse 'este' (adjective) with 'esto' (pronoun). Use 'este' before a noun.
• Be careful with the difference between 'ese' and 'aquel': 'ese' is for something not too far, 'aquel' is for something far away.

Exceptions and edge cases

• There are no irregular forms, but remember that the accent marks (éste, ésa) are no longer used as adjectives.