Demonstrative adjectives

Foreign Languages

Definition

Demonstrative adjectives are words used to point out specific nouns, equivalent to 'this,' 'that,' 'these,' and 'those' in English. In most foreign languages, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Examples

  • Spanish: 'este libro' (this book), 'esa casa' (that house), 'aquellos árboles' (those trees over there).
  • French: 'ce livre' (this/that book), 'cette maison' (this/that house), 'ces enfants' (these/those children).
  • German: 'dieser Mann' (this man), 'diese Frau' (this woman), 'dieses Kind' (this child).
Key Fact

Spanish has three levels of distance: este (near me), ese (near you), aquel (far from both). French uses ce/cet/cette/ces with optional -ci/-là suffixes.

Related Terms

Adjectives Adjective agreement Possessive articles Accusative case

Study This Concept

Practice demonstrative adjectives with free review games in these units:

French 1-2 Unit 6: Shopping and Fashion Spanish 1-2 Unit 6: Shopping and Clothing