Do you want to expand your Spanish grammar? Today you are going to learn an important aspect of Spanish grammar: demonstratives. These little words help you point out and focus on specific objects, people or places.

If you are a student looking to improve your Spanish grammar, you are in the right place! In this article you will learn the demonstratives in Spanish with practical and easy examples.

If you prefer practicing your skills, you can click here to read this article in Spanish.

What are demonstratives?

Spanish demonstratives are used to indicate the location or identity of something in relation to the person speaking (me), the person being spoken to (you), or the person or thing being talked about. Demonstratives can be adjectives or pronouns and vary in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).

Adjective demonstratives in Spanish

Adjective demonstratives are used to accompany a noun and agree with it in gender and number. The demonstratives in Spanish are: “este”, “ese”, “aquel”, and their feminine and plural variants.

• Este (masculine singular) and esta (feminine singular) (This).

They are used to refer to objects or people that are close in space or time in relation to the person speaking. For example: “Este libro es interesante” (“This book is interesting”) or “Esta película es emocionante” (“This movie is exciting”).

• Estos (masculine plural) and estas (feminine plural) (These).

Indicates close objects in the plural. Examples: “Estos coches son rápidos” (“These cars are fast”) or “Estas flores son bonitas” (“These flowers are beautiful”).

• Ese (masculine singular) and esa (feminine singular) (That).

They are used to refer to objects or people that are at a certain distance in space or time in relation to the person speaking. For example: “Ese edificio es alto” (“That building is tall”) or “Esa película fue muy divertida” (“That movie was a lot of fun”).

• Esos (masculine plural) and esas (feminine plural) (Those).

Indicates objects or people at a certain distance in the plural. Example: “Esos perros están jugetones” (“Those dogs are playful”) or “Esas montañas están nevadas” (“Those mountains are snowy”).

• Aquel (masculine singular) and aquella (feminine singular) (That).

They are used to refer to objects or persons that are far away in space or time in relation to the person speaking. For example: “Aquel castillo es viejo” (“That castle is old”) or “Aquella canción era popular en los años 80” (“That song was popular in the 80's”).

• Aquellos (masculine plural) and aquellas (feminine plural) (Those).

Neutral demonstratives and adverbs of place

In addition to these demonstratives, in Spanish you can also find the neutral demonstratives: esto, eso and aquello. These demonstratives are used to refer to something in an abstract way, without specifying gender or number. For example:

• “Eso que me contó me sorprendió” (“What he told me surprised me a lot”)
• “Esto que me cuentas es interesante” (“What you are telling me is interesting”)

On the other hand, we find demonstratives in Spanish that are associated with adverbs of place and indicate three degrees of distance: aquí, ahí and allí. Here are some examples:

• “Aquí está mi coche” (“Here is my car”). It is used to indicate that it is close to the speaker.
• “Ahí me encontré con mi amigo” (“There I met my friend”). It is used to indicate that it is a little far from the speaker.
• “Allí se produjo el accidente” (“There the incident took place”). It is used to indicate that it is far away from the speaker.

Demonstrative pronouns in Spanish

Demonstratives pronouns stand in for a noun and agree in gender and number. When the noun to which they refer has already been mentioned, it can be deleted. The demonstrative pronouns in Spanish are: éste, ése, aquél and their feminine and plural variants.

For example, in a conversation you can hear: "Me gustan estos zapatos" ("I like these shoes") and "Yo prefiero éstos otros en marron" ("I prefer those others in brown"). The demonstrative agrees in gender and number referring to the noun “zapatos”.

Practical examples with demonstratives in Spanish

Here are some more examples with demonstratives in Spanish:

Imagine you are in a clothes shop, and you want to say that you like a particular garment. You can say: “Me gusta esta camiseta” (“I like this T-shirt”) or “Me gusta esta blusa” (“I like this blouse”). The demonstrative in Spanish distinguishes between masculine, the T-shirt, and feminine, the blouse.

On the other hand, suppose you are talking about something that is far away from you, like a mountain. You would say, “Esa montaña es imponente” (“That mountain is imposing”). On the other hand, if you are pointing to something that is really far away, such as a building on the other side of town, you might say, “Aquel edificio es muy alto” (“That building is very tall”).

For the plural, the dynamic is the same. Imagine you are in a market, and you want to comment with another person on the condition of the fruit. You can use phrases like: “Esas manzanas parecen deliciosas” (“Those apples look delicious”) or “Estos platanos están maduros” (“These bananas are ripe”).

In summary, Spanish demonstratives are very flexible and can be used in many different situations. The key to mastering them is to practice and observe how they are used in real contexts. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; practice is the key to improving your Spanish skills.

Also, if you want to learn Spanish in Spain, don't hesitate to take a look at our Spanish courses in 11 different destinations. The courses start every Monday of the year and are suitable for all ages and levels.

Expressing your emotions in Spanish is one of the first challenges you face when you start learning the language. Asking how someone is feeling or answering that you are having a very boring day are common expressions and phrases. In this post we are going to talk about how to express emotions in Spanish.

If you have already immersed yourself in learning Spanish and have done a bit of research into its culture and common expressions, you may have noticed that native Spanish speakers tend to be very expressive when it comes to their emotions. So, if you want to learn how to express effectively in this language, mastering emotions in Spanish is essential.

If you prefer to read this article in Spanish, click here.

Difference between emotions and feelings

Before we start with emotions in Spanish, let's differentiate them from feelings. It is a topic that generates a lot of confusion, since both concepts are related.

Emotions are automatic and universal responses of the organism to stimuli. While feelings are conscious and subjective experiences that derive in emotions.

For example, an emotion would be surprised, fear or joy, which you feel at a given moment because of an external stimulus. On the other hand, a feeling is sadness, nostalgia, love, or envy, which are influenced by past events and can last in time.

Therefore, feelings tend to be longer lasting and are influenced by cultural and personal factors. Although both are important aspects of human emotional experience and play a crucial role in everyday life and interpersonal relationships.

Emotions in Spanish

Let's start by learning the vocabulary of the most basic emotions in Spanish. Here are some very common emotions with their examples:

• Alegre (Happy). "Estoy muy feliz hoy”. (“I'm very happy today”)
• Triste (Sad). “Me siento triste porque no pude ir al concierto”. (“I feel sad because I couldn't go to the concert”)
• Enfado (Angry). “¡Estoy enfadado contigo!” (“I’m angry with you!”)
• Miedo (Fear). “Me dan miedo las arañas”. (“I’m afraid of spiders”)
• Sorprendido (Surprised). “Luis estaba sorprendido de ver a su equipo en directo” (“Luis was surprised to see his team live”)
• Emocionado (Excited). “Estoy emocionado por mi próximo viaje”. (“I'm excited about my upcoming trip”)
• Nervioso (Nervious). “Estoy nervioso porque tengo una entrevista de trabajo mañana”. (“I'm nervous because I have a job interview tomorrow.”)
• Aburrido (Bored). “Me he aburrido durante la conferencia”. (“I got bored during the conference”)
• Encantado (Delighted). “Estoy encantado de conocerte”. (“I'm delighted to meet you”)
• Enamorado (In love). “Estoy completamente enamorado de mi pareja”. (“I'm completely in love with my partner”)
• Orgulloso (Proud). “Me siento muy orgulloso de mi último proyecto”. (“I'm very proud of my last project”)
• Relajado (Relaxed). “Después de las vacaciones, me siento relajado y renovado”. (“After holydays, I feel relaxed and refreshed”)
• Aliviado (Relieved). “Estoy aliviado después de aprobar el examen”. (“I’m relieved after passing the exam")
• Satisfecho (Satisfied). “Estoy satisfecho con mi rendimiento en el proyecto”. (“I'm satisfied with my performance on the project”)
• Asustado (Frightened or Scared). “Me asusté cuando vi una sombra en la oscuridad”. (“I got scared when I saw a shadow in the dark”)
• Celoso (Jealous). “Estoy celoso de su éxito en el trabajo”. (“I am jealous of her success at work”)
• Envidioso (Envious). “Me siento envidioso de su talento musical”. (“I feel envious of his musical talent”)
• Estresado (Stressed). “Estoy muy estresado por la carga de trabajo”. (“I'm very stressed due to my workload”)
• Preocupado (Worried). “Me siento preocupado por la salud de mi abuela”. (“I feel worried about my grandmother's health”)

What should you know about emotions in Spanish?

One important thing to keep in mind is that, in Spanish, emotions are often expressed more effusively than in English. For example, when someone is happy, it is common to hear expressions like “¡Estoy super feliz!” (“I am super happy”) or “¡Estoy contentísimo!” (“I am very pleased”). This shows that emotions in Spanish can be very intense.

Another interesting aspect of emotions in Spanish is that sometimes they must agree with gender and number. For example: “Ella está contenta por haber aprobado el examen” (“She is happy that she passed the exam”); “Estoy orgullosa de tu trabajo” (“I am proud of your work”) or “Nos asustamos mucho cuando vimos aquella araña” (“We were so scared when we saw that spider”). 

On the other hand, the use of reflexive pronouns when talking about emotions in Spanish is very frequent. For example, instead of simply saying “Carlos está cansado” (“He is tired”), you can say “Carlos se cansa de estudiar tanto” (“Carlos gets tired of studing so much”) to express a more intense emotion.

We hope this guide has helped you understand how to express your emotions in Spanish. And if you really want to learn the language, we recommend that you listen to Spanish music and watch Spanish-language movies or series. But if you want to improve your level in a relaxed, comfortable environment with native Spanish speakers, sign up for the intensive Spanish courses we have at don Quijote.