Spanish
Grade 9
15 min
Los Demostrativos (Demonstrative Adjectives): This, That, These, Those
Introduce demonstrative adjectives (este, ese, aquel) and practice using them correctly.
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the correct demonstrative adjective (este, ese, aquel) based on an object's distance from the speaker and listener.
Correctly match the gender and number of demonstrative adjectives with various clothing nouns (e.g., esta camisa, esos pantalones).
Construct complete sentences to ask about or describe specific clothing items using demonstrative adjectives.
Differentiate between demonstrative adjectives (which modify nouns) and demonstrative pronouns (which replace nouns) in shopping contexts.
Use demonstrative adjectives effectively in dialogues related to shopping for clothes, such as asking for a different size or color.
Formulate opinions and comparisons about clothing using demonstratives (e.g., 'Prefiero estos zapatos a aquellos'...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Adjetivo Demostrativo (Demonstrative Adjective)A word that points out a specific noun and describes its position relative to the speaker. It must always agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.En la frase 'Quiero esta camisa', la palabra 'esta' es un adjetivo demostrativo que señala una camisa específica.
Concordancia de Género y Número (Gender and Number Agreement)The fundamental Spanish grammar rule that adjectives (including demonstratives) must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe.este pantalón (masculine, singular) vs. estas faldas (feminine, plural).
Proximidad (Proximity)The concept of distance that determines which demonstrative to use. Spanish has three levels of distanc...
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Grammar Rules & Patterns
The Three Levels of Proximity
1. Close to speaker (aquí/acá): este, esta, estos, estas.
2. Close to listener / Not far (ahí): ese, esa, esos, esas.
3. Far from both (allí/allá): aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas.
Unlike English which only has two levels ('this/these' and 'that/those'), Spanish has three. You must choose the correct demonstrative based on the object's location relative to the people speaking. Think of it as 'here', 'there', and 'way over there'.
Mandatory Gender and Number Agreement
Demonstrative Adjective + Noun (must match in gender & number)
The ending of the demonstrative adjective must change to match the noun it modifies. For the masculine singular noun 'vestido', you use 'este&#...
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Challenging
Imagine a salesperson showed you a hat ('sombrero') on a distant shelf ('aquel sombrero'). Now, they have brought it to you and are holding it for you to inspect. How would you now refer to the hat?
A.Sigue siendo aquel sombrero.
B.Ahora es este sombrero.
C.Ahora es ese sombrero.
D.Ahora es aquellos sombrero.
Challenging
A friend points to a dress far away and says, 'Me gusta aquél'. You reply, '¿Te refieres a ______ vestido azul?' Why is your response the correct way to form the question?
A.It uses the adjective 'aquel' to modify the noun 'vestido', which is necessary.
B.It uses the pronoun 'ese' because the dress is now closer.
C.It uses the adjective 'este' because you are now thinking about it.
D.It uses the pronoun 'aquél' with an accent, which is interchangeable with the adjective.
Challenging
Which sentence correctly uses a demonstrative adjective in a complex sentence with the subjunctive mood? The context is a mother telling her son which tie to wear from a selection in front of him.
A.Prefiero que lleves esa corbata allá.
B.Espero que aquella corbata aquí te guste.
C.Dudo que estos corbatas te queden bien.
D.Quiero que te pongas esta corbata azul.
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