Demonstratives: Este/Esse/Aquele

Imagine three invisible bubbles. The first bubble is yours. It is your personal space. If you can touch it, it is in this bubble. Use este for things here. The second bubble is for your listener. It is their personal space. If they can touch it, use esse. The third bubble is far away. It is outside both of your reach. Use aquele for things over there. This system is very logical. It tells everyone exactly where an object is. It also works for time. Este is for right now. Esse is for the recent past. Aquele is for the distant past. It is like a GPS for your sentences.

1. 1These words change to match the noun. They must agree in gender. They must agree in number. Here is how you build them:
2. 2Identify the distance (Here, There, Way Over There).
3. 3Check if the noun is masculine or feminine.
4. 4Check if the noun is singular or plural.
5. 5For things near you (The "Este" Family):
6. 6Masculine: este (this), estes (these)
7. 7Feminine: esta (this), estas (these)
8. 8Neutral: isto (this thing)
9. 9For things near the listener (The "Esse" Family):
10. 10Masculine: esse (that), esses (those)
11. 11Feminine: essa (that), essas (those)
12. 12Neutral: isso (that thing)
13. 13For things far from both (The "Aquele" Family):
14. 14Masculine: aquele (that over there), aqueles (those over there)
15. 15Feminine: aquela (that over there), aquelas (those over there)
16. 16Neutral: aquilo (that thing over there)
17. 17You can also combine them with prepositions.
18. 18de + este = deste (of this)
19. 19em + este = neste (in this)

Use este when you hold something. You are at a cafe. You hold a muffin. Say: Este bolo é bom. Use este for the current time. Esta semana means the week you are in. It is very immediate.

Use esse for things near your friend. Your friend has a cool phone. Say: Esse telemóvel é novo? Use it for the recent past. Essa noite might mean last night. It is the most common form in Brazil. Many Brazilians use esse for everything near them too.

Use aquele for distant objects. You see a mountain far away. Say: Aquela montanha é alta. Use it for old memories. Aquele verão de 2010 sounds very nostalgic. It creates a sense of space.

Do not use neutral forms for people. Never call your friend isto. It sounds like you are calling them an "it." Use este or esse instead. For example: Este é o meu irmão.

Don't use este for things far away. It confuses the listener. They will look at your hands. They won't see the object. It is like a grammar traffic light. Green means close. Red means far. Don't mix the colors.

Avoid using isto, isso, or aquilo with a noun. You cannot say isto livro. You must say este livro. The neutral forms stand alone. They represent an unknown object. "What is this?" becomes O que é isto?

Mixing up este and esse is common. Even native speakers do it sometimes. Don't panic if you slip up. The biggest mistake is gender agreement. Este mesa is wrong. Mesa is feminine. You must say esta mesa.

Another mistake is the plural of este. Many people say estos. That word does not exist. The correct plural is estes. Remember the "e" at the end.

Forgetting contractions is another one. Instead of em este lugar, say neste lugar. It sounds much smoother. It makes you sound like a local.

In English, we only have "this" and "that." Portuguese adds a third layer. Aquele is the "extra" layer. English speakers often forget to use it. They use esse for everything far away. Try to use aquele for the horizon.

Also, notice the neutral forms. English uses "this" for both objects and ideas. Portuguese splits them. Este is for a specific noun. Isto is for a general concept.