este / ese / aquel

Demonstratives

Level 1

Use este for something near you, ese for something near the person you are talking to, and aquel for something far from both of you.

How It Works

Galician points at things with three distances, just like its three place words aquí, aí and alí:

  • este (this): near me, the speaker. este libro (this book).
  • ese (that): near you, the listener. esa mochila (that backpack by you).
  • aquel (that over there): far from both of us. aquela montaña (that mountain over there).

Agreement. The demonstrative matches the noun in gender and number: este neno, esta nena, estes nenos, estas nenas. Notice that the masculine plurals end in -es: estes, eses, aqueles.

Standing alone. When the noun is already clear, the demonstrative can replace it: Non quero esta, quero aquela (I do not want this one, I want that one over there). The spelling stays the same. Galician never writes an accent on a demonstrative.

Something just mentioned. Ese also points back to something that was just said: Ese día chovía (It was raining that day).

Joining with de and en. In standard writing, de and en join the demonstrative into one word: de + este = deste, en + esta = nesta, en + aquel = naquel. See contractions with demonstratives.

To point at something without naming it, or at a whole idea, use the neuter forms isto, iso and aquilo instead.

Examples (6)

  1. Este libro é moi bo.

    This book is very good.

    Este is masculine singular because libro is.

  2. Esa mochila é túa?

    Is that backpack yours?

    Esa points to something near the listener.

  3. Aquela montaña é moi alta.

    That mountain over there is very tall.

    Aquela is for something far from both people.

  4. Estes zapatos son novos.

    These shoes are new.

    The masculine plural is estes.

  5. Non quero esta, quero aquela.

    I don't want this one, I want that one over there.

    Here the demonstratives stand in for a noun both people can see.

  6. Vivo nesta rúa.

    I live on this street.

    Nesta is en + esta written as one word.

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the demonstrative ignore the gender of the noun.

    Esta libro é novo.
    Este libro é novo.

    Libro is masculine, so the demonstrative must be masculine too: este, not esta.

  • Writing an accent on a demonstrative that stands alone.

    Quero éste.
    Quero este.

    Galician never puts a written accent on este, ese or aquel, even when they replace a noun. The habit comes from older Spanish spelling.

  • Keeping en or de apart from the demonstrative.

    Vivo en esta rúa.
    Vivo nesta rúa.

    In standard Galician, en and de join the demonstrative: en + esta becomes nesta, and de + este becomes deste.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

este / ese / aquelLevel 1Demonstratives

Learn This First

Demonstratives point to nouns and agree with them.

Words in This Pattern

esteestesestaseseesesaquelaquelaaquelesaquelasaquelaquelaaquelesaquelas