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Pronombres demostrativos
Demonstrative pronouns replace a specific noun that was mentioned previously. In Spanish, they must agree with the noun(s) in number and gender.
Per esempio…
Las montañas de Asia son más altas que aquéllas. | Asia’s mountains are taller than those. | |
Ése árbol es bonito, pero éste ofrece más sombra. | That tree is cute, but this one offers more shade. |
Characteristics of demonstrative pronouns
- Replace a demonstrative adjective + noun
- Agree with the noun they replace in gender and number
- Require an antecedent
- May have an accent*
Spanish demonstrative pronouns
Spanish has three sets of demonstrative pronouns:
- éste (this one – something near the speaker)
- ése (that one – something near the listener but far from the speaker)
- aquél (that far one – something far from both the speaker and listener)
Each set has masculine and feminine, singular and plural, plus a neuter demonstrative pronoun.
this | that | that | ||
masculin singular | éste | ése | aquél | |
feminine singular | ésta | ésa | aquélla | |
masculin plural | éstos | ésos | aquéllos | |
feminine plural | éstas | ésas | aquéllas | |
neuter | esto | eso | aquello |
Por ejemplo …
Estas naranjas cuestan menos que ésas. | These oranges cost less than those. | |
¿Qué chica lo hizo, ésta o ésa? | Which girl did it, this one or that one? | |
Quiero mirar esta película, no me gusta aquélla. | I want to see this movie; I don’t like that one. | |
Todos los perros son lindos, pero prefiero éste. | All the dogs are cute, but I prefer this one. |
Éste can mean "latter," while aquél can mean "former."
Por ejemplo …
Luís y Ana van a ayudarnos. Aquél ya está aquí, y ésta llegará a las dos. | Luís and Ana are going to help us. The former (Luís) is already here, and the latter (Ana) will arrive at 2 o’clock. |
Neuter demonstrative pronouns
Neuter demonstrative pronouns, also known as indefinite demonstrative pronouns, refer to unspecified or unknown nouns, situations, and ideas. Note that these never have an accent.
Por ejemplo …
¿Qué es esto? | What is this? | |
Eso es imposible. | That is impossible. | |
Por eso, no puedo hacerlo. | Therefore (because of that), I can’t do it. | |
Aquello no es necesario. | That’s not necessary. |
Adverbs of place
Each set of Spanish demonstrative pronouns corresponds with a different adverb of place:
Pronoun | Adverb | ||
éste | aquí | here | |
ése | ahí | there | |
aquél | allí | over there |
* As of 2010, these accents are no longer required or even recommended by Real Academia Española.
Related lessons
Spanish lesson plans
- Demonstrative Pronouns (Worksheet, 9th-12th grade)
- Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns (Lesson, 6th-12th grade)
En français
In italiano
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