זה / זאת / אלה

This and These

Level 1

זה is masculine singular, זאת is feminine singular, and אלה is plural. They can stand alone or identify a noun.

How It Works

After a Noun

הספר הזה means this book. המחברת הזאת means this notebook. הספרים האלה means these books. Here the noun is definite and the demonstrative follows it with its own ה. זאת does not have a separate plural feminine form: אלה works with masculine and feminine plural nouns.

A Whole Sentence

זה ספר means this is a book. זאת מחברת means this is a notebook. No present-tense verb corresponding to is is needed. Conversational זה can also act as a general identifying expression in constructions such as זה דנה; that is a different use from adjective-like agreement inside a noun phrase.

Recognize זו as another standard feminine singular form and אלו as another standard plural form. These alternatives occur in contemporary writing and speech, so they should not be marked wrong merely because this entry leads with זאת and אלה.

Examples (5)

  1. הספר הזה

    This book.

    The demonstrative follows the definite masculine noun.

  2. המחברת הזאת

    This notebook.

    The demonstrative matches the feminine noun.

  3. הספרים האלה

    These books.

    אלה supplies the plural reference.

  4. זאת מחברת.

    This is a notebook.

    This is an identifying sentence without a present-tense is.

  5. זו מחברת.

    This is a notebook.

    זו is a standard alternative to זאת.

Common Mistakes

  • Using masculine זה inside a feminine identifying noun phrase.

    המחברת הזה
    המחברת הזאת

    The noun מחברת is feminine, so the demonstrative in this phrase is הזאת.

How It Connects

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

זה / זאת / אלהLevel 1This and These

Learn This First

Keep noun agreement and definiteness when adding a demonstrative.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.