Demonstratives in Spanish

By Marta Díaz on Friday, October 17, 2025

When learning Spanish in Spain, you've probably noticed that there are certain topics and expressions that help you sound more natural when speaking. One of these is undoubtedly Spanish demonstratives, those little words we use all the time to point out objects, people, or places. Although they seem simple, they have their own rules and nuances, especially since in Spanish they change depending on gender, number, and distance.

So much so that Enforex helps you understand everything related to demonstratives in Spanish in this article, where you will learn what they are, how and when to use them to sound like a true native speaker. Don't miss it!

What are demonstratives in Spanish?

Demonstratives in Spanish are words that indicate the distance between the speaker, the listener, and the object or person being talked about. In other words, they show or point out something in space or in a conversation.

In Spanish, demonstratives can be adjectives (when they accompany a noun) or pronouns (when they replace the noun).

• Demonstrative adjective: “Este libro es interesante” (This book is interesting). Here, este accompanies the noun libro.
• Demonstrative pronoun: “Este es interesante” (This one is interesting). Here, este replaces the noun, so we no longer say libro”

Therefore, demonstratives in Spanish serve a very important function: indicating the proximity or distance of something in relation to the speaker and the listener.

Types of Spanish demonstratives according to distance

In Spanish, we can divide distance into three degrees: close to the speaker, close to the listener, and far from both. Below is a table explaining these:

Let's see what they are according to their gender. Here are the demonstratives in Spanish in the masculine form:

Singular masculine	Plural masculine
este	estos
ese	esos
aquel	aquellos

And these are the Spanish demonstratives of the feminine gender:

Singular femenine	Plural femenine
esta	estas
esa	esas
aquella	aquellas

In addition, in Spanish there is another demonstrative that is used and is neither feminine nor masculine. These are the neuter gender: esto, eso, and aquello. We will tell you more about them later.

How and when to use Spanish demonstratives

If the speaker is close, use este, esta, estos, or estas. We use these forms when the object or person is close to the speaker.

However, they are also used when the speaker feels emotional or affective proximity to the object or subject.

Examples:

• Este café está muy caliente (This coffee is very hot)
• Esta silla es muy cómoda (This chair is very comfortable)
• Estos zapatos son nuevos (These shoes are new)
• Estas flores son preciosas (These flowers are beautiful)

Remember that the neutral demonstrative, esto, is used when no specific noun is mentioned. For example: “¿Qué es esto?” (What is this?). We don't know what object it is.

If the listener is nearby, use ese, esa, esos, or esas. When the object or person is closer to the listener or when the speaker does not have it within reach, these demonstratives are used in Spanish.

Examples:

• Esa taza es tuya, no mía (That cup is yours, not mine)
• Esos libros son los que necesitas para el curso (Those books are the ones you need for the course)
• Esa calle lleva al centro (That street leads to the center)
• Esas montañas son hermosas (Those mountains are beautiful)
• Eso no me gusta nada (I don't like that at all)
• ¿Qué es eso que tienes en la mano? (What is that you have in your hand?)

And if both the listener and the speaker are: aquel, aquella, aquellos y aquellas. Thus, they are used to referring to something that is far away from both the speaker and the listener. But they can also be used to talking about something that happened a long time ago.

Examples:

• Aquel edificio es muy antiguo (That building is very old)
• Aquella playa me trae buenos recuerdos (That beach brings back fond memories)
• Aquellos años fueron los mejores de mi vida (Those years were the best of my life)
• Aquellas montañas parecen nevadas (Those mountains look snow-capped)
• Aquello fue una experiencia increíble (That was an incredible experience)
• ¿Recuerdas aquello que te conté? (Do you remember what I told you?)

Neuter demonstratives: this, that, and those

Neuter demonstratives have no gender or number. They do not accompany a noun, but rather replace ideas, facts, or things that are not directly named.

Examples:

• No entiendo esto (I don't understand this) - Refers to a specific situation or idea
• Eso me parece una buena idea (That seems like a good idea to me) - Refers to something someone else said
• Aquello fue muy extraño (That was very strange) - Refers to something further away in time or space

Practical examples in context

Below are some sentences to complete with the appropriate demonstrative in Spanish according to the context.

• 1. _______ libro que tengo en la mano es muy interesante.
• 2. ¿Te gusta _______ camisa que lleva tu hermana?
• 3. _______ montaña de allí es la más alta del país.
• 4. ¿Qué es _______ que estás cocinando?
• 5. _______ días fueron los más felices de mi vida.
• 6. ¿Recuerdas _______ verano en la playa?
• 7. No entiendo _______ que dices.
• 8. _______ flores que me regalaste son preciosas.
• 9. No quiero _______ coche, prefiero el rojo.
• 10. _______ fue un momento muy especial.

Demonstratives in Spanish are an essential tool for pointing out, identifying, and describing objects, people, or ideas. Although it may seem difficult to remember all the forms at first, with practice they become natural. Keep practicing, sign up for an intensive Spanish course, and speak as much Spanish as you can.

Dare to use demonstratives! They will help you sound more natural and communicate accurately.

Answers: este, esa, aquella, eso, aquellos, aquel, esto, estas, ese, aquello.