Spanish: An Essential Grammar

Placing the demonstrative adjective after the noun

Although its normal position is before the noun, the demonstrative adjec-

tive 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 días aquellos those days

Foreign speakers should take care in adopting this use, as it easily conveys

a critical or dismissive attitude.

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 más me gusta.

That’s the picture I like most.

¿Cuál quieres: el de tu padre o aquel que vimos ayer?

Which one do you want: your father’s or the one we saw

yesterday?

4.2

(^1111) 4.1.3
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1011

1

12111

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

20111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

30111

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

40

41111

Masculine and

feminine

demonstra-

tive pronouns

45

Demonstrative adjectives

1 Learners should take care not to confuse the masculine form of

the demonstrative adjectives esteand esewith the neuter

pronouns estoand eso: este libro‘this book’ and never ×esto

libro×.

2 In contrast with English, demonstrative adjectives in Spanish are

generally 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 avoidthe practice of native

speakers who use este, eseand aquelbefore feminine nouns

beginning with a stressed aor ha: este agua ‘this water’. See

3.1.2 on the correct use of the definite article in this situation.