Spanish demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

A demonstrative adjective is a word used to modify a noun so that we know which specific person/place/thing is mentioned or to indicate the proximity of with whom or of whom one speaks. Demonstrative adjectives often come before nouns while demonstrative pronouns can stand on their own. They are similar to this/that/these/those in English. Let's find out how and when to use demonstrative adjectives and pronouns in Spanish.

Spanish demonstrative adjectives

Spanish demonstratrive adjectives should match the gender (feminine or masculine) and number (singular or plural) of nouns they accompany in Spanish.

See gender of nouns in Spanish for more information.

Different forms of demonstrative adjectives in Spanish:

While in English, there are two options, this for something close to you, and that for something farther away. There are three expressions in Spanish which are relevant to this, that, and that over there in English. And "that over there" is used to imply an even greater distance.

For example:

Este libro - This book

Estas casas - These houses

Ese carro – That car

Esas camas – Those beds

Aquellos paises – Those countries

¿Puedes ver aquel barco? - Can you see that boat over there?

Esta novela es interesante - This novel is interesting

Esos lápices son de Pamela - Those pencils are Pamela’s

Spanish demonstrative pronouns

While a demonstrative adjective come before a noun, a demonstrative pronoun can stand on its own.

Spanish demonstrative pronouns

For example:

Este cuadro y aquél (cuadro) - This painting and that (one)

Esta casa no es tan grande como aquélla (casa) - This house is not as big as that (one)