deste / neste / daquel
Contractions with Demonstratives
De and en join the demonstratives into one word, as in Son deste barrio (I am from this neighbourhood) and Vivo nesa rúa (I live on that street).
How It Works
With de:
• de + este, esta, estes, estas → deste, desta, destes, destas
• de + ese, esa, eses, esas → dese, desa, deses, desas
• de + aquel, aquela, aqueles, aquelas → daquel, daquela, daqueles, daquelas
With en:
• en + este, esta, estes, estas → neste, nesta, nestes, nestas
• en + ese, esa, eses, esas → nese, nesa, neses, nesas
• en + aquel, aquela, aqueles, aquelas → naquel, naquela, naqueles, naquelas
The same rule as the article: these contractions work like do, da and no, na. In standard writing, write deste, not de este.
With or without a noun: the contraction happens whether the demonstrative comes before a noun or stands alone: Estas mazás están boas; dáme dúas destas (These apples are good; give me two of these).
Neuter forms: isto, iso, aquilo contract too: disto, diso, daquilo, nisto, niso, naquilo. They are practised with contractions with pronouns.
Only de and en: other prepositions stay separate: a este, con esa, por aquel, para estes.
Daquela as a time word: daquela is also an adverb meaning "then" or "back then". See daquela.
Advanced note: there is no contraction when de does not govern the demonstrative's noun but introduces a whole infinitive clause, as in de estas razóns seren admitidas (of these reasons being accepted).
Examples (6)
- Son deste barrio.
I am from this neighbourhood.
Word by Word: Am-I of-this neighbourhood.
de + este = deste
- Vivo nesa rúa.
I live on that street.
Word by Word: Live-I in-that street.
en + esa = nesa
- Lembras o nome daquel restaurante?
Do you remember the name of that restaurant?
Word by Word: Remember-you the name of-that restaurant?
de + aquel = daquel
- Nesta cidade chove moito.
It rains a lot in this city.
Word by Word: In-this city rains much.
en + esta = nesta
- Naquela época viviamos no campo.
Back then we lived in the countryside.
Word by Word: In-that time lived-we in-the countryside.
en + aquela = naquela
- Estas mazás están boas; dáme dúas destas.
These apples are good; give me two of these.
Word by Word: These apples are good; give-me two of-these.
The contraction also happens when the demonstrative stands alone without a noun.
Common Mistakes
Writing de and the demonstrative as two words.
Son de este barrio.Son deste barrio.In standard Galician, de joins the demonstrative: de + este = deste. De este is the Spanish habit.
Leaving en separate from the demonstrative.
Vivo en esa rúa.Vivo nesa rúa.En also joins the demonstrative: en + esa = nesa.
Writing an accent on a demonstrative that stands alone.
Quero ésta.Quero esta.Galician never puts a written accent on este, ese or aquel, even without a noun.
How It Connects
Learn This First
De and en contract with demonstratives of all three distances.
Related Patterns
- isto / iso / aquiloNeuter Demonstratives
The neuter demonstratives contract the same way: disto, niso, daquilo.
Level 1 - del / dela / nel / nelaContractions with Pronouns
De and en also contract with the pronouns el and ela.
Level 2 - dun / nun / cunContractions with Un and Unha
Contractions of de, en and con with un and unha.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice deste / neste / daquel in Bubblegum
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