The European Portuguese demonstratives are este(s), esta(s), esse(s), essa(s), aquele(s), aquela(s), isto, isso, and aquilo. DemonstrativosDemonstratives identify a particular person or object and establish its location in relation to the speaker, the listener, or simply within the general context. They can tell us, for example, whether something is close or distant, in either space or time.
In English, we generally use the words this and these to refer to things that are close to the speaker or things that are happening at the present time. Accordingly, we use that or those to refer to objects that are further from the speaker or things that happened or will happen at another time in the past or future.
In Portuguese, it’s a bit more complicated. You must also take into account the proximity to the listener and whether it’s a recent or distant time (in the past or future). Don’t overwhelm yourself with memorizing all of these just yet. We’ll focus on one group at a time in the lessons to follow. The goal for now is to start familiarizing yourself with the parameters that affect which word is used.
Overview: Portuguese Demonstratives
- THIS: estethis (masc., sing., near speaker) | estathis (sing.,fem.,near speaker) | istothis (general,near speaker)
- THESE: estesthese (pl.,masc.,near speaker) | estasthese (pl.,fem.,near speaker)
- THAT: essethat (sing.,masc.,near listener) | essathat (sing.,fem.,near listener) | issothat (general,near listener) | aquelethat (sing.,masc.,far from both) | aquelathat (sing.,fem.,far from both) | aquilothat (general,far from both)
- THOSE: essesthose (pl.,masc.,near listener) | essasthose (pl.,fem.,near listener) | aquelesthose (pl.,masc.,far from both) | aquelasthose (pl.,fem.,far from both)
Demonstrative Pronouns vs. Demonstrative Determiners
You may recall what we learned in the Possessives unit about the difference between determiners and pronouns. Similarly, when demonstratives fully replace the noun and can be used on their own, we call them pronomes demonstrativosdemonstrative pronouns . Any of the words listed above can function as demonstrative pronouns. When they precede the noun to reference a defined item, we call them determinantes demonstrativosdemonstrative determiners . Any of the words above can also function as demonstrative determiners, except for isto, isso, and aquilo, which are the demonstrative pronouns used when referring to something in a more general or abstract way.
In the example below, the first este modifies the word bolo (as a demonstrative determiner) and the second Este stands alone (as a demonstrative pronoun). Even though the second Este is not modifying a word in that sentence, we know from context that it’s replacing bolo, which is why it’s in the masculine, singular form. We’ll elaborate on this in the next section.
Quero este bolo. Este é meu.I want this cake. This is mine.
Variable vs. Invariable Demonstratives
Some Portuguese demonstratives can change according to the noun’s gender or number, while others always stay the same. With this in mind, we can think of them in two groups: variable and invariable.
Variable
These must agree with the noun’s gender and number and are usually followed by the noun. The variable demonstratives are este(s), esta(s), esse(s), essa(s), aquele(s) and aquela(s).
Esta caneta é tuaThis pen is yours
Este menino é loiro, mas esta menina é morena.This boy is blond, but this girl is brunette.
Although variable pronouns can also be used on their own without the noun, it’s usually only when the object has been mentioned recently, making the context clear:
Aquele cão é grande. Aqueles também.That dog is big. Those (dogs) too.
Este casaco é teu e este é meu; por isso, esse é delaThis coat is yours and this (one) is mine; therefore that (one) is hers
Invariable
The invariable demonstratives are isto, isso, and aquilo. These are the less specific, more general Portuguese demonstratives, which do not have gendered or plural forms. We use them when we:
- Don’t know what the object is (and therefore don’t know if it’s masculine or feminine to assign one of the variable pronouns)
- Simply want to go straight to the point and shorten the sentence: Isto é teu?This is yours? instead of Este casaco é teu?This coat is yours?
- Want to talk about ideas or situations in a more abstract way
Isto é inaceitávelThis is unacceptable
Obrigado pelo presente. Isto é excelente!Thank you for the gift. This is excellent!
Ela viu o acidente. Aquilo foi horrível.She saw the accident. That was horrible.
Close vs. Distant
We can further categorize demonstratives according to the relative position of the person/object, both in space and time.
Saying “this” in Portuguese
When something is near the speaker, or in the present time, we use isto and este (plus its derivatives).
- Variable forms: este/esta (singular masc/fem), estes/estas (plural masc/fem)
- Invariable form: isto
Este livro é ótimo. Vou lê-lo esta semana.This book is great. I will read it this week.
Saying “that” in Portuguese
Now it gets a bit tricky. In English, that could describe something fairly close to the person you’re speaking to, (“that pizza you’re holding”), or something far away from both of you, (“that coffee shop we went to yesterday”).
However, with Portuguese demonstratives, there are 2 groups of pronouns for describing that:
- When it’s near the listener, or in a recent past or future, we use isso and esse (plus its derivatives).
Esse cão é teu?That (near listener) dog is yours?
Este vestido é mais barato. Isso é muito caro.This dress is cheaper. That (near listener) is very expensive. - When it’s far from both the speaker and the listener, or in a more distant time, we use aquilo and aquele (plus its derivatives).
Aquela festa foi enorme.That (far away) party was huge.
Aquilo valeu a pena.That (far away) was worth it.
I know it’s a bit nit-picky, but girls are blonde. Boys are blond. (I’ve double-checked this first with Chambers and the Oxford English dictionaries.)
I’m glad I stumbled across this site, though. I’m loving this, and feel that I am at least making progress!
Thank you for catching that and for your kind words 🙂
Thank you, that is a great help. Will bookmark you for future reference.
In the Pimsleur series, aquele was described as being used for people, rather than esse. Is that not the case, can you use esse when referring to people?
Yes, both words can be used for people. The choice between ‘aquele’ and ‘esse’ depends only on the relative temporal or physical distance. ‘Esse’ is for people or things far from the speaker, but closer to the listener; ‘aquele’ is for people or things far from both the speaker and the listener.
You are right! But I teach it like this: este livro around the speaker esse livro around the listener, and aquele livro away from both the speaker and listener.
Exactly. That works as well! Just note that the object may be around both the speaker and the listener. For example, when talking about a building both are inside/right in front of. So, “este” if it’s either around the speaker or both speaker and listener, “esse” when exclusively around the listener and “aquele” when away from both speaker and listener.
Good and clear
I’m still not clear on how isso is used. My first thought with the example above, “Esta vestido e mais barato” “Isso e muito caro”, isso is used because that one sentence does not have a feminine or masculine subject. But you know this response is referencing the dress, so why not use ‘esse’?
The same question applies to the use of ‘aquilo’.
Thank you
Olá, Paul. More often that not, it’s not an either/or thing – when context allows for it, you can phrase your thoughts in different ways, all of them grammatically correct. You just gave a good example in your comment 🙂 It actually agrees with what the Learning Note says about using “isto”, “isso”, “aquilo” when we don’t know what the object is or what we’re talking about. If we do know, then we don’t need them.
Having established the category “vestido,” pulling away from the grammatical gender of vestido to say “isso” (instead of “essa”) almost sounds like the speaker doesn’t quite want to call the other thing a dress: “that possibly-a-dress thing near you”—maybe way too scanty, or unconventional in some other way, or multi-purpose (dress + ??), or somehow not satisfactorily a vestido, in the eyes of the speaker. Or maybe the person addressed wants to buy something quite different from a dress. In other words, the wording seems (to me, a speaker of English and Spanish) to be making some point beyond cheap and expensive: that we are somehow also comparing apples and oranges.
Olá! That’s one possible interpretation. In this context, calling it ‘isso’ can certainly be interpreted as disdainful, but personally, I wouldn’t assume that it’s because it doesn’t meet the speaker’s definition of a dress. I’d just assume that the price was really quite unappealing 🙂
Was always confused about how to use these demonstratives. Now it is crystal clear.
Very glad to read that! 🙂
Good lesson
Why is “Esse cão é teu” allowed rather than “Esse cão é o teu” since we have a possessive pronoun (mine, yours, hers) not a possessive adjective (my, your, her)? I thought possessive adjectives have optional articles but possessive pronouns required them
Both are possible, but the definite article isn’t mandatory here 🙂 There’s a subtle difference in meaning/intention:
– Esse cão é teu -> This sentence simply explains that the dog is yours.
– Esse cão é o teu -> With the definite article, it feels like you’re adding emphasis to the fact that this is your dog, not any other dog.
I am contented with your explanations. Thanks a lot.
Things become clearer as I read more. Obrigada!
I know that someone (Paul) already asked this question but I still don’t understand why it’s ‘Esse cao e teu’ but ‘(Este vestido é mais barato.) Isso é muito caro.’
In both cases, the object is masculine (vestido and cao) and nearer the listener.
Help!
Thanks!
That’s true, both objects are masculine and near the listener. What happens is that in the first example with the dog, since the object is directly mentioned, we have no choice but to use the masculine demonstrative “esse” (esse cão). But in the example where two dresses are being compared, since the object is not explictly mentioned in the second sentence (“Isso é muito caro”), we have two options: we can use “esse” just the same (i.e. “Esse é muito caro”), or we can use the more generic “isso”, as we did, even though the object is known. Either way is fine and sounds natural for us. I hope this answers your question!
I would help me so much if there was a SUMMARY sheet for each lesson I could print and refer to for future review.
Thanks, great point! We’re looking into creating printables for some of the learning notes that would include charts and/or a summary of the most important info. In the meantime, it could be a good exercise to create your own summary sheet by taking notes. Of course this won’t always be possible if you’re learning on the go, but organizing something you read into your own words is a really effective way to learn and remember it. 🙂
Hi,
Sorry for my somewhat poor English as I’m not an anglophone!
This is the first time I bump into your site. While I do understand the difference between Pronouns vs Determiners, as a beginner, I wish you could have translated, I quote “the Portuguese demonstratives are este(s), esta(s), esse(s), essa(s), aquele(s), aquela(s), isto, isso, and aquilo” end of quote. As for me, you should have written ” ..the Portuguese demonstratives are:
este (s) = this (?), these (?) near the listener(?)
esta(s) = this (?), these (?) in feminine(?)
esse = (?)
and so on.
Those question marks express my frustration. Well, maybe because I’m just a beginner and not knowing many substantives you are using in the examples above, I’m left guessing which is not a pleasant feeling.
On the other hand, I read my positive comments about your explanations so I’ll write down the address of this link into my contacts and will be back when my Brazilian Portuguese is more advanced, so to speak.
Anyway, many thanks!
/pd
Sorry for the confusion! I know this is not obvious at all since you’re new to the site, but this learning note is part of a larger unit on demonstratives. So for someone working through the unit, we will cover each of these in detail in the upcoming lessons / learning notes. That said, I’m sure it would be helpful to translate them here, too, so I’ll work on adding that. 🙂
Also just a note to clarify: our content is focused only on European Portuguese, not Brazilian.
thank you for explaining a very difficult concept in an easy to understand format. I now feel confident about when to use esse/essa or aquele/acquela.
Hi. I am learning Portuguese in the Algarve. Our teacher is from the East of Portugal. She says that it is rude to use isto and isso for people. I am not sure about aquilo. What do you think?
Olá! Isto/isso/aquilo are never meant to be used for people, only objects. For people, the applicable demonstratives are este(s)/esse(s)/aquele(s), plus their feminine counterparts (esta(s)/essa(s)/aquela(s)).
This is a very helpful lesson for beginning to understand and master those confusing demonstratives. But my question actually concerns one of the examples. Though it has not been covered yet in the lessons I’ve done, I thought that the way to express “I’m going to [x]” required (as in English and French) the present of ir, followed by the infinitive. But the example is: “ Vou lê-lo esta semana.” Do I have the Portuguese construction wrong?
You’re correct! In the sentence “Vou lê-lo esta semana” you have the auxiliar verb IR (VOU is the 1st person present tense) + the verb LER in the infinitive + 3rd person clitic pronoun. However LER + O (read + it), follows the rule of the clitic pronouns in this learning note:
https://www.practiceportuguese.com/learning-notes/clitic-pronouns-third-person-singular-and-plural/
So, instead of having “Vou ler o esta semana” or “Vou ler-o esta semana” (I’m going to read it this week”), we have “Vou lê-lo esta semana”!
This is brilliant because you have to guess what the hell is going in Duolingo. But one question, what do you use for the plural of aquilo (that, general, far from both)?
It’s ok, got it, isto (near speaker) isso (near listener) and aquilo (near neither) don’t have plurals because we don’t know what the object is/objects are!
Right 🙂 As noted in the Learning Note, those are invariable demonstratives and by definition, don’t vary with gender or number.
I cannot find a practice unit for Variable and Invariable pronouns (demonstrative), even with a search. Can you help?
Here you go! https://www.practiceportuguese.com/units/main/this-and-that/
And here’s a link to the Site Index. Sometimes it’s easier to find things by topic here, instead of searching.
Thankyou, that explains so well the use of isto/isso/aquilo which was really confusing me
Glad to hear this helped you 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Spanish makes a similar distinction between close, a bit farther away, and “over there” pointing. BUT I was taught that the middle-distance words in Spanish do NOT reference distance to a listener. For example, in Spanish, if I were speaking to a person on my right, and there was a dog very close to me, another dog at (say) two meters to my LEFT, and a third dog on the other side of the street from both of us, those dogs would be este perro, ese perro, y aquel perro–even though the middle distance dog was closer to me than to the person I was speaking to.
Is this really a difference between Spanish and Portuguese–that, unlike Spanish, the middle-distance term is tied to the LISTENER in Portuguese–or is this just a convenient and approximate way to get across a useful first impression?
Yes, the middle-distance term in Portuguese is generally tied to the listener 🙂 In any case, in practice, there is some flexibility and ‘esse’ could also be used in Portuguese in the example you gave, as an indicator of an intermediate distance of sorts.
Having all these decisions to make about “this” and “that” does my head in. I am very tempted to just use one set and, if necessary, sound like an idiot!
This can for sure feel overwhelming. However, the more you use them, the more it’ll sink in 🙂 Hang in there!
Hi,
I have just read the article on the above mentioned topic and I found it very useful. I am learning Portuguese with Duo Lingo and they add to this very long list of demonstrative pronouns : desse/a and nesse/a. How come I do not see these on your list. Should I simply forget about it ?
Do you know if Duo Lingo is about Brazilian Portuguese ? Thank you so much for this clarification.
The pronouns “desse/a” and “nesse/a” are indeed used in Portuguese; they are the contractions of the preposition “de” or “em” with the demonstrative pronouns “esse/a” and “este/a”. Here are the Learning Notes on those pronouns:
https://www.practiceportuguese.com/learning-notes/combining-de-with-demonstratives/
https://www.practiceportuguese.com/learning-notes/combining-em-with-demonstratives/
As for Duolingo, it does offer only Brazilian Portuguese, which has some differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation compared to European Portuguese. If you want to learn European Portuguese, it’s important to be aware of these differences!
🙂
I have a question, What is the difference between Essa/esse and aquela/aquele? when should they be used?
As explained in this Learning Note (last section), it usually depends on the object’s relative distance from the speaker and the listener. Essa/esse -> distant from speaker, close to listener. Aquela/aquele -> distant from both.
thankyou i must of missed that last section,
I have a quick question for anyone based in Libson, I was told that esse/essa sometimes can have a negative connotation, like “that thing- ugh”, but maybe this was just the opinion of one person I spoke to based on a small sample of the people he grew up with. He was telling me that sometimes people just skip to aquele/aquela so that the sentence doesn’t seem so negative. But other people told me that’s not the case and there’s no issue with esse/essa. So just curious if anyone else has encountered that in Lisbon or if I can ignore that.
Olá! A lot of our team members are based in Lisbon, me included 🙂 That’s not a standard thing at all, I would say. If there is a negative connotation, that would come from the specific context of what’s being said, not by the word itself. As the spatial or temporal nuances of ‘esse’ and ‘aquele’ are different, they should not generally be treated as interchangeable, although both might work in some situations.
Muito obrigada! I’m glad I checked and will continue to practice with all of these. Greatly appreciated!