Spanish Demonstratives Practice

Q: What is the difference between este, ese and aquel?

It's a three-way distance system. Este points to what's near the speaker (aquí), ese to what's near the listener (ahí), and aquel to what's far from both (allí). English collapses ese and aquel into "that," which is why the middle distance takes practice.

Q: When do I use esto instead of este?

Este goes before a noun or replaces a known noun: este libro, prefiero este. Esto is the neuter pronoun for things you can't yet name or for whole ideas: ¿Qué es esto? Esto no me gusta. Esto can never sit in front of a noun — esto coche is always wrong.

Q: Do demonstratives agree with the noun?

Yes, in gender and number, just like adjectives: este chico, esta chica, estos chicos, estas chicas — and the same pattern for ese/esa/esos/esas and aquel/aquella/aquellos/aquellas. Watch masculine nouns in -a like el problema: este problema.

Q: Do Spanish demonstratives need accent marks?

No. Since the 2010 spelling reform the RAE recommends writing all demonstratives without accents, even when they work as pronouns. The neuters esto, eso and aquello have never carried an accent, and aquel has no accent on the a either.

Q: How do demonstratives work with time?

Este covers time close to now: esta noche, esta semana, este año. Ese picks out a specific moment in a story: en ese momento. Aquel evokes a remote, often nostalgic past: aquellos años, aquel verano en Galicia.

Q: Are these exercises free?

Yes. All 30 exercises run right in your browser, need no signup, and give you a clear explanation after every answer.

Question 1

___ libro que tengo en la mano es muy interesante.

Accepted Answer

Este. The book is in my hand (near me), so it's este. Esto is the neuter pronoun and can never go before a noun.

Question 2

___ mesa de aquí es de madera de roble.

Accepted Answer

Esta. De aquí signals nearness to the speaker, and mesa is feminine, so esta. Este would be the masculine form.

Question 3

¿Ves ___ montañas allí a lo lejos?

Accepted Answer

aquellas. Allí a lo lejos means far from both speakers, so you need aquel-forms. Montañas is feminine plural: aquellas.

Question 4

Pásame ___ libro que tienes ahí, por favor.

Accepted Answer

ese. The book is near the listener (ahí, que tienes), so it's ese. Eso is the neuter and never goes before a noun.

Question 5

¿Qué es ___? Nunca he visto nada igual.

Accepted Answer

esto. You don't know what the thing is, so you can't match a gender — that's exactly when the neuter esto is used: ¿Qué es esto?

Question 6

___ zapatos de aquí me encantan, me los llevo.

Accepted Answer

Estos. De aquí points near the speaker, and zapatos is masculine plural, so estos. Estas would be feminine.

Question 7

___ chicas de ahí son mis primas de Sevilla.

Accepted Answer

Esas. De ahí signals middle distance (near the listener), and chicas is feminine plural, so esas — not the masculine esos.

Question 8

___ coche del fondo del aparcamiento es de mi jefe.

Accepted Answer

Aquel. The car is at the far end, so aquel. Aquello is the neuter and never modifies a noun — and note aquel carries no accent.

Question 9

___ noche vamos al cine con mis amigos.

Accepted Answer

Esta. For time close to now Spanish uses este/esta: esta noche = tonight. Esa or aquella noche would point to another, more distant night.

Question 10

___ problema es más difícil de lo que parece.

Accepted Answer

Este. Problema ends in -a but is masculine, so este problema. And before a noun you can never use the neuter esto.

Question 11

No me gusta ___ ; me parece una mala idea.

Accepted Answer

eso. You're rejecting an idea, not a named noun, so you need the neuter eso. Ese and esa would need a specific noun to agree with.

Question 12

___ flores de allí son las más bonitas del jardín.

Accepted Answer

Aquellas. De allí means far from both of you, so an aquel-form. Flores is feminine plural: aquellas, not the masculine aquellos.

Question 13

Prefiero esta camisa; ___ de ahí es demasiado cara.

Accepted Answer

esa. The demonstrative stands alone, replacing camisa, but it still agrees with it: esa (feminine singular). Eso would only work for an unnamed thing.

Question 14

___ señor de allí es el director del colegio.

Accepted Answer

Aquel. Far from both speakers and masculine singular → aquel, written without any accent. Aquello is the neuter and can't modify señor.

Question 15

¿De quién son ___ llaves que tienes en la mano?

Accepted Answer

esas. The keys are in the listener's hand — the speaker's ahí zone — so esas. Estas would mean the keys are in the speaker's own hand.

Question 16

Mira, ___ es mi hermano Pablo.

Accepted Answer

este. When introducing someone by your side, use este/esta, matching the person's gender. The neuter esto would treat your brother like an unidentified object.

Question 17

Me encantan ___ pendientes que llevas puestos.

Accepted Answer

esos. The earrings are on the person you're talking to, so an ese-form; pendientes is masculine plural despite the meaning: esos.

Question 18

¿Vosotros conocéis a ___ chico de ahí?

Accepted Answer

ese. De ahí places the boy at middle distance, so ese. Aquel would push him far away (allí), and the neuter eso can't describe a person.

Question 19

Agua takes the article "el" — but which demonstrative phrase is correct?

Accepted Answer

esta agua. Agua is feminine — el agua only exists to avoid the double a sound. Demonstratives keep the true gender: esta agua, esa agua, aquella agua.

Question 20

Estaba a punto de salir y en ___ momento sonó el teléfono.

Accepted Answer

ese. For a specific moment in a story Spanish uses en ese momento. Momento is masculine, so ese — never the neuter eso before a noun.

Question 21

___ años en la universidad fueron los mejores de mi vida.

Accepted Answer

Aquellos. A distant, nostalgic past takes aquel-forms: aquellos años. Años is masculine plural, so aquellos, not the feminine aquellas.

Question 22

Which sentence has a demonstrative error?

Accepted Answer

Esto coche es muy rápido.. Before a masculine noun the form is este: este coche. Esto only works alone, for unnamed things or ideas — never as an adjective.

Question 23

___ que dijiste ayer en la reunión me molestó mucho.

Accepted Answer

Eso. You're pointing at a whole statement, not a noun with gender, so the neuter eso: eso que dijiste. Ese and esa would need a concrete noun.

Question 24

No quiero este bolso; prefiero ___ del escaparate de enfrente.

Accepted Answer

aquel. The demonstrative replaces bolso (masculine singular) and points far away, so aquel. Aquello is neuter and can't stand for a named noun.

Question 25

Which demonstrative matches the distance word ahí (near the listener)?

Accepted Answer

ese. The three place words map onto the three demonstratives: aquí → este, ahí → ese, allí → aquel. Ahí is the listener's space, so ese.

Question 26

¿Te acuerdas de ___ verano en Galicia? Fue hace veinte años.

Accepted Answer

aquel. A summer twenty years ago is remote in time, so aquel verano. Verano is masculine, ruling out aquella, and aquello never precedes a noun.

Question 27

___ de las gafas es mi profesora de español.

Accepted Answer

Aquella. The pronoun stands for a woman far away, so aquella (feminine singular). Aquello is neuter and would be rude applied to a person.

Question 28

Which sentence is written incorrectly?

Accepted Answer

Ésto no me gusta nada.. Esto, eso and aquello are never written with an accent — Ésto is always a spelling error, and since the 2010 rules the other demonstratives don't need accents either.

Question 29

Estos zapatos me gustan, pero ___ que vimos en la otra tienda eran más baratos.

Accepted Answer

aquellos. The pronoun replaces zapatos (masculine plural) in a distant shop, so aquellos. Estos would confusingly point back at the shoes in front of you.

Question 30

Choose the correct word: "___ es lo que no entiendo: ¿por qué mentiste?"

Accepted Answer

Eso. You're pointing at an idea (the lying), not a gendered noun, so the neuter eso is the only option: Eso es lo que no entiendo.

Spanish Demonstratives Practice

The rule, in plain English.

Practice.

Other topics.

Noun Gender & Plural Practice

Adjective Agreement Practice

Possessive Adjectives Practice

Common questions.