Demonstrative pronouns show which one(s) you mean without repeating the noun.

Vocabulary

They come in three sets, matching the three distances shown by demonstrative adjectives:
Spanish Pronoun
este, esta, estos, estas
English Translation
Usage Notes
Near the speaker
(1 of 3)

Usage

  • They replace a noun, so you donโ€™t say the noun again.
  • They agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they replace.
  • Example: ยฟQuieres este libro? (Do you want this book?) โ†’ ยฟQuieres รฉste? (Do you want this one?)

Accent Marks

  • Traditionally, demonstrative pronouns carry a written accent to distinguish them from demonstrative adjectives (e.g., รฉste vs. este).
  • Recent guidelines say the accent is only necessary when needed to avoid confusion.
  • You will still see the accent commonly used in many texts.

Examples

Spanish Sentence
Prefiero esta.
English Translation
Demonstrated Pronoun
replaces la casa (feminine singular)
(1 of 3)

Summary

  • Demonstrative pronouns replace nouns and show which one(s) you mean.
  • They agree in gender and number.
  • They follow the same near to far pattern as demonstrative adjectives.
  • Accent marks are used to distinguish them from adjectives, mainly to avoid confusion.

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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025