isto / iso / aquilo

Neuter Demonstratives

Level 1

Use isto, iso and aquilo when you do not know what something is called, or when you mean a whole idea: Que é isto? (What is this?), Iso é verdade (That is true).

How It Works

These three words are called neuter because they do not belong to a noun. They keep the same three distances as este, ese and aquel:

  • isto: this, near me.
  • iso: that, near you, or something you just said.
  • aquilo: that over there, or something further back in time.

When to use them. Use them for an object you cannot or do not name (Que é isto?), and for a whole idea, fact or situation (Iso é verdade, Aquilo foi incrible).

Only one form. They never change for gender or number, and a noun never follows them. If you want to name the noun, switch to este, ese or aquel: ese libro, not iso libro. An adjective that describes them is masculine singular: Isto é moi bo.

Joining with de and en. In standard writing they join these prepositions: disto, diso, daquilo, nisto, niso, naquilo. See contractions with pronouns.

Useful phrases. Iso é! means "That's it!" or "Exactly!", and por iso means "that is why" (see por iso).

In some areas people say esto and eso, but the standard forms are isto and iso.

Examples (6)

  1. Que é isto?

    What is this?

    Isto refers to something near the speaker that the speaker does not name.

  2. Iso é verdade.

    That is true.

    Iso refers to what the other person just said.

  3. Mira aquilo!

    Look at that!

    Aquilo points to something far away.

  4. Isto é moi bo.

    This is very good.

    The adjective bo is masculine singular after isto.

  5. Non sei nada diso.

    I don't know anything about that.

    Diso is de + iso written as one word.

  6. Por iso chego tarde.

    That's why I'm late.

    Por iso means that is why.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting isto, iso or aquilo in front of a noun.

    Quero iso libro.
    Quero ese libro.

    The neuter forms always stand alone. When a noun follows, use ese, esa, eses or esas.

  • Making a neuter form plural.

    Istos son os meus.
    Estes son os meus.

    Isto has no plural. For several things, use estes or estas, which agree with the things you mean.

  • Keeping de apart from iso.

    Non sei nada de iso.
    Non sei nada diso.

    In standard Galician, de + iso joins as diso, just as de + este joins as deste.

How It Connects

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

isto / iso / aquiloLevel 1Neuter Demonstratives

Learn This First

Neuter demonstratives refer to an unidentified thing or situation without accompanying a noun.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

aquilo