Learn Spanish Part No 8

Learn Spanish Part No 8

Spanish Grammar

Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

Demonstrative are the equivalent of English “this /these” and “that those”. Spanish likewise uses the first of these two categories, but goes further by dividing the second category of “that/those” into two. As a result, Spanish has three demonstratives rather than two.

Singular		Plural		Neutral
Masculine	Feminine	Masculine	Feminine
Este (this)	Esta (this)	Estos (these)	Estas (these)	Esto (this)
Ese (that)	Esa (that)	Esos (those)	Esas (those)	Eso (that)
Aquel (that)	Aquella (that)	Aquellos (those)	Aquellas (those)	Aquello (that)

The masculine and feminine forms can be used both as adjectives and as pronouns, while the neuter forms are pronouns only.

Native speakers still commonly use a written accent to distinguish the pronouns from the corresponding adjectives (“est “ this one compared to este libro – this book). Since accented forms are no longer recommended they are not shown above or belowee.

I. Demonstrative adjectives

The adjectives are normally placed before the noun (as in English), and they agree with it number and gender.

1. Este, esta, estos, estas

These are used to identify what is physically near to or is associated with the speaker

Estas botas que acabo de limpiar (These boots that I have just cleaned)

They also singnify proximity in terms of time

Lo voy a ver esta tarde (I am going to see him this afternoon)

2. Ese, esa, esos, esas and aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas

Both series of weords translate English “that / those”. However, Spanish establishes a destiction by means of ese its related forms, between what is connected with or known by the person being addresses means of the aquel series, what is distant both from the speaker listener. Therefore, ese can signify “that near you” or “associated whereas aquel tends to identify “that distant from us both” or “not associated” with either of us

In practice, there may not always be such a clear – cut distinction usage, and native speakers may alternate between the two forms, except in situations where the deliberate intention is stress distance by the use of aquel

Ese pueblo donde estas - That village where you are

El document esta en aquel archive en Madrid - The document is in that archive in Madrid.

These two series of words make a similar distinction between a relatively recent past and one more distant

Esos dias que pasamos juntos el verano pasado

(those days we spent together last summer)

En aquellos tiempos no existan armas de fuego

In those days firearms did not exist

3. Placing the demonstrative adjectives after the noun

Although its normal positions is before the noun, the demonstrative adjective can also be used after it, especially in speech, in which case the noun is preceded by the definite article

El libro ese – that book

Los dias aquellos – those days

Foreign speakers should take care in adopting this use, as it easily conveys a critical or dismissive attitude

Demonstrative adjectives

1. Learners should take care not to confuse the masculine form of the demonstrative adjectives este and ese with the neuter pronoun esto and eso, este libro “this book” and never “esto libro”
2. In contrast with English, demonstrative adjectives in Spanish are general repeated before each noun, especially when they are nouns of different gender - > Este caballo y esta oveja viven juntos (This horse and sheep live together)
3. Learners are recommended to avoid the practice of native speakers who use este, ese and aquel before feminine nouns beginning with a stressed a or ha, este agua “this water”.

II. Masculine and feminine demonstrative pronouns

The pronouns stand in place of a specific noun, expressed as “this / that” (one), “these / those” (ones), with which they agree in number and gender

No me des esa papaya, prefiero esta

Don’t give me that papaya, I prefer this one

Ese es el cuadro que mas me gusta

That’s the picture I like most

Cual quires – el de tu parde a quell vimos ayer

Which one do you want – your father’s or the one we saw yesterday?

The pronoun este is used with the meaning of “the latter” (this – the last mentioned), and aquel “the former) (that – mentioned earlier). They agree with nouns in number and gender as appropriate

De las dos propuestas, esta es la mas original y aquella la mas practica

Of the two proposal, the latter is the most original and the former is the most practical

• The translation of “those who” is not achieved by esos or aquellos, but by los / las que – No perdona a los que lo critican “He does not forgive those who criticize him”.

III. Neuter demonstrative pronous

These are used with the same meanings as the adjective and pronouns above, but they refer to things which bear no gender, such as statements, actions, situations and items required identification.

Esto es una pesadilla – This is a nightmare

Todo aquello es bosque virgin – All of that is virgin forest

Que es eso – What is this

Notes

1. In speech these commonly occur in the pattern esto/eso/aquello + de. The convey the equivalent of English phrases like “this matter”, “that business” – eso de no poder ver la tele – That business of not being able to watch TV”
2. The phase y eso que is used with the meaning of “although”, “even though” – Decidio ir y eso le dije que no “He decided to go even though I told him not to”
3. Other common phases are – eso si “yes indeed”, “of course”, eso no “certainly not”, eso es “that’s it” or “that’s right”, eso si que no “no way”, pore so “therefore” or “for that reason”.