In Portuguese, the demonstrative pronouns este/esta, esse/essa, and aquele/aquela change based on gender and number, making them “variable.” We call them Variable Demonstrative Pronouns in Portuguese. They help define the position of objects or people relative to the speaker and listener.
What’s a Demonstrative Pronoun?
A demonstrative pronoun is a word (pronoun) that represents another word (noun) and indicates its position as being near or far, including in time. These are the words “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” In English, they are connected to their noun by number: “this” and “that” for singular and “these” and “those” for plural.
This all seems simple enough, right? But wait! Here comes Portuguese and things start to become a little more complicated.
Almost all pronouns in Portuguese are connected to their nouns by number and ALSO by gender.
- Este/esta refers to something close to the speaker (e.g. este livro – this book).
- Esse/essa points to something closer to the listener (e.g. essa caneta – that pen).
- Aquele/aquela refers to something distant from both (e.g. aquele carro – that car over there).
These pronouns align with the noun they accompany and are key to clarifying spatial relationships in Portuguese conversations. Keep in mind that gender and number agreements are essential for ensuring grammatical accuracy.
On the other hand, invariable demonstrative pronouns are neutral and do not change form. Examples include “isto” (this), “isso” (that), and “aquilo” (that over there), used to refer to non-specific or abstract concepts.
Putting it all Together
Variable demonstrative pronouns in Portuguese indicate specific people or things relative to the speaker’s perspective. The three main categories are este (this), esse (that), and aquele (that one over there). Here are three examples for each variable demonstrative pronoun:
Este (This)
- Este livro é interessante.
(This book is interesting.) - Esta casa é muito bonita.
(This house is very beautiful.) - Estes alunos são muito dedicados.
(These students are very dedicated.)
Esse (That)
- Esse carro é rápido.
(That car is fast.) - Essa camisa está em promoção.
(That shirt is on sale.) - Esses amigos são muito engraçados.
(Those friends are very funny.)
Aquele (That one over there)
- Aquele filme foi emocionante.
(That movie over there was exciting.) - Aquela cidade é linda.
(That city over there is beautiful.) - Aqueles professores são muito experientes.
(Those teachers over there are very experienced.)