Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns

Adjetivos demostrativos

INCA Spanish 3B

​Adjetivos demostrativos / Demonstrative adjectives

• As the name implies, Spanish demonstrative adjectives demonstrate a quality about the noun they modify. In this case, that quality is the location in respect to the speaker or the listener. Spanish demonstrative adjectives can be translated as this, that, these, or those.

• Spanish has three sets of demonstrative adjectives, each of which has four different forms that vary by gender and number.​

​Este / Esta

​

Este / Esta is used to describe a noun that is close to the speaker and listener. It is normally used to talk about something within reaching distance of the speaker.

​Here are the four forms este can take in Spanish.

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Multiple Choice

Este restaurante es mi favorito

• that restaurant is my favorite

• this restaurant is my favorite

• this restaurant is not my favorite

• that restaurant is not my favorite

Multiple Choice

This blouse is very pretty

• este blusa es muy bonita

• esta blusa es muy bonito

• este blusa es muy bonito

• esta blusa es muy bonita

Multiple Choice

These burritos are delicious!

• ¡estos burritos son deliciosos!

• ¡estas burritos son deliciosos!

• ¡estos burritos son deliciosas!

• ¡estas burritos son deliciosas!

Multiple Choice

Estas casas son muy grandes

• these houses is very big

• these house are very big

• these houses are very big

• these house are very big

​Ese

​

Ese/Esa is used to point out nouns that are further from the speaker and not easily within reach. The noun may be close to the listener, but not the speaker.

​Here are the four forms ese can take in Spanish.

Multiple Choice

Yo quiero ese carro azul

• I want that red car

• I want that blue car

• I want that blue cars

• I want this blue car

Multiple Choice

me gustan esos zapatos rojos

• I like those blue shoes

• I like these red shoes

• I like those red shoes

• I like those blue shoe

Multiple Choice

those flowers are my favorite

• estas flores son mis favoritas

• esas flores son mi favorita

• esas flores son mis favoritas

• esos flores son mis favoritas

Multiple Choice

Bring me that white shirt, please

• traéme esa camisa blanca, por favor

• traéme ese camisa blanca, por favor 

• traéme esa camisas blancas, por favor

• traéme ese camisas blancas, por favor 

​

Aquel is used to talk about nouns that are far away from both the speaker and the listener.

Here are the four forms aquel can take in Spanish

Multiple Choice

aquel león es muy peligroso

• that lion over there is very dangerous

• that lions over here is very dangerous

• those lions over there are very dangerous

• that lion over here is very dangerous

Multiple Choice

aquella chica es muy guapa

• that girl over here is very pretty

• that girl over there is very pretty

• those girls over there are very pretty

• those girl over there are very pretty

Multiple Choice

aquellas rosas son bellas

• those roses over there are beautiful

• these roses over there are beautiful

• those roses over here are beautiful

• these roses over here are beautiful

Multiple Choice

aquellos edificios son los más viejos de la ciudad

• these buildings over here are the oldest in the city

• those buildings over here are the oldest in the city

• these buildings over there are the oldest in the city

• those buildings over there are the oldest in the city

​Demonstrative Adjective Placement

​Demonstrative adjectives are typically placed immediately before the nouns they modify.

Ejemplos:

Estos libros y esos periódicos son buenos.

These books and those magazines are good.

Esta casa y aquel apartamento son lindos.

This house and that apartment over there are nice.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out a particular person, place, thing, or idea.

• The demonstrative pronouns are this, that, these, and those.

• Demonstrative pronouns REPLACE the noun.

They can refer to things near in space or time (this and these), or things far in space or time (that and those).

• Ex. This is my mother’s ring.

• Ex. That looks like the car I used to drive.

• Ex. These are nice shoes, but they’re uncomfortable.

• Ex. Those look riper than the apples on my tree.

Decide whether the underlined demonstrative is being used as an adjective or a pronoun.

Multiple Choice

That is Gary's baseball bat.

• adjective

• pronoun

Multiple Choice

Do you need these books to write your essay?

• adjective

• pronoun

Multiple Choice

I took those pictures in France last summer.

• adjective

• pronoun

Multiple Choice

That is the dress I want for the dance next week.

• adjective

• pronoun

Multiple Choice

Please hand this to Ray.

• adjective

• pronoun

• REPLACE the noun.

• ​Agree in gender and number to the noun they are replacing.

• ALL carry an accent. (This helps separate them from demonstrative adjectives.)

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Demonstrative Pronouns:

Select the correct demonstrative pronoun for each sentence.

Multiple Choice

_____ es el mejor sandwich. (near)

• Éste

• Ése

• Aquél

• Ésta

Multiple Choice

¿Fueron _____ los globos azules que Mamá quiso para la fiesta? (near)

• éste

• éstos

• ésta

• éstas

Multiple Choice

Después de mirar _____, yo decidí que la joya seria un buen regalo. (farthest)

• áquel

• aquélla

• aquéllos

• aquéllas

Multiple Choice

_____ son los libros que necesito para la clase de ingles. (far)

• ése

• ésa

• ésos

• ésas

Multiple Choice

_____ son las flores más bonitas. (farthest)

• Ésas

• Éstas

• Aquéllas

• Éstos