This and that
Este, ese, aquel, and esto and eso.
Spanish has three distances where English has two: este "this" near me, ese "that" near you, and aquel "that over there", away from both.
| this | that | that (over there) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | este | ese | aquel |
| feminine | esta | esa | aquella |
| masculine plural | estos | esos | aquellos |
| feminine plural | estas | esas | aquellas |
They agree with their noun, and stand alone for one too: este libro y ese "this book and that one". Older spelling wrote them with an accent when alone, as in éste; today it's left off.
- This book is very good.
- Do you like that shirt?the one near you
- That house over there is my grandmother's.
- I want these, not those.
Esto, eso, aquello
For something not named yet, or an idea, use esto, eso and aquello. They never go before a noun and never take an accent.
- What's this?
- That's it.
- I don't understand that.
Here and there
The same three distances: aquí "here", ahí "there", near you, and allí "over there". acá and allá are vaguer versions of aquí and allí, and can be compared: más allá "further on". allá is used everywhere; acá is common in Latin America, especially with verbs of motion: Ven acá "Come here".
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Nouns and describing words cards.
How do you say 'this book'?
este libro
What's the feminine of ese (that)?
esa
Ese or aquel: which points to something far from both speakers?
aquel
How do you ask 'What's this?' about something you can't name?
¿Qué es esto?
What does Eso es mean?
'That's it' or 'that's right'.
What's the plural of este (this)?
estos (estas for feminine nouns).
What's the difference between aquí and allí?
aquí is 'here'; allí is 'over there'.
Do este and ese need an accent when they stand alone, as in 'I want this one'?
No: Quiero este.