How to say this, that, and those in Portuguese basics

Introduction

Learning how to use this, that, and those in Brazilian Portuguese is one of the first steps to build clear sentences and point to things in everyday conversations. This article explains demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in simple English, shows practical Brazilian Portuguese examples, highlights common mistakes, and gives tips for quick practice.

What are demonstratives and why they matter

In English, demonstratives are this, that, these, and those. They help identify which person, object, or idea you mean. Portuguese has a similar system but with gender and number agreement and an extra word for more distant concepts. Understanding demonstratives lets you ask questions, point things out in stores, read signs, and follow directions.

Basic demonstratives in Brazilian Portuguese

Portuguese demonstratives change to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they modify. For close objects use este/esta/estes/estas; for objects near the listener use esse/essa/esses/essas; for distant objects use aquele/aquela/aqueles/aquelas. Brazilian speakers often use esse/essa for something mentioned earlier or near the listener.

Close to the speaker: este / esta / estes / estas

Use when the item is near the speaker, or when you want to emphasize immediacy.

Vocabulary:

este (masculine singular) — this (near me)

esta (feminine singular) — this (near me)

estes (masculine plural) — these (near me)

estas (feminine plural) — these (near me)

Examples:

Este livro é meu. — This book is mine.

Esta caneca está quente. — This mug is hot.

Estes sapatos são novos. — These shoes are new.

Estas flores são bonitas. — These flowers are for você.
Estas flores são para você.

Near the listener or previously mentioned: esse / essa / esses / essas

Use for something near the listener or already mentioned in conversation. In Brazilian Portuguese, esse/essa are very common in spoken language.

Vocabulary:

esse (masculine singular) — that / the one near you / that mentioned

essa (feminine singular) — that / the one near you / that mentioned

esses (masculine plural) — those (near you)

essas (feminine plural) — those (near you)

Examples:

Você viu esse filme? — Did you see that movie?

Essa cadeira está ocupada. — That chair is occupied.

Esses documentos são importantes. — Those documents are important.

Eu li essas notícias hoje. — I read those news today.

Far from both speaker and listener: aquele / aquela / aqueles / aquelas

Use for items that are distant in space or time, or to point to something more remote in context. Aquele/aquela can also show contrast or refer to something mentioned long ago.

Vocabulary:

aquele (masculine singular) — that over there / that distant one

aquela (feminine singular) — that over there / that distant one

aqueles (masculine plural) — those over there

aquelas (feminine plural) — those over there

Examples:

Aquele prédio é muito alto. — That building over there is very tall.

Aquela música tocou ontem. — That song played yesterday.

Aqueles dias foram difíceis. — Those days were hard.

Aquelas lojas fecham cedo. — Those shops close early.

Demonstrative pronouns versus demonstrative adjectives

In Portuguese, demonstratives can act as adjectives (modifying a noun) or pronouns (replacing a noun). The form is the same, but context shows the role.

Adjective example:

Essa casa é grande. — That house is big. (essa modifies casa)

Pronoun example:

Gosto dessa. — I like that one. (dessa replaces a feminine noun like blusa)

Contracted forms with prepositions

When demonstratives combine with prepositions, Portuguese often contracts the preposition and the demonstrative. These contractions are common and useful for fluent speech.

Key contractions:

de + este = deste

de + essa = dessa

de + aquele = daquele

em + este = neste

em + essa = nessa

em + aquele = naquele

Examples:

Você falou desse problema ontem. — You talked about that problem yesterday.

Tem um desconto neste produto. — There is a discount on this product.

Nas reuniões daquele ano havia muitas ideias. — In the meetings of that year there were many ideas.
Em + aqueles = naqueles (plural contraction example)

Demonstratives with neuter forms

Portuguese has neuter forms to refer to ideas, unknown things, or abstract situations: isto, isso, aquilo. These do not change for gender or number and are very useful for beginners.

isto — this (idea near speaker)

isso — that (idea near listener or mentioned)

aquilo — that (idea distant)

Examples:

O que é isto? — What is this?

Isso é verdade. — That is true.

Não gostei daquilo. — I did not like that.

Everyday situations and sample dialogues

Short dialogues help beginners see demonstratives in context. These are realistic lines you might hear in Brazil.

At a café:

Cliente: Você aceita cartão?
Barista: Sim. Este é o terminal.
Cliente: Obrigado. Vou pagar esse. — Customer: Do you accept card? Barista: Yes. This is the terminal. Customer: Thanks. I’ll pay that one.

Shopping for clothes:

Vendedora: Quer experimentar essa blusa?
Cliente: Prefiro aquela na vitrine.
Vendedora: Posso trazer aquela no seu tamanho. — Sales: Do you want to try this blouse? Customer: I prefer that one in the window. Sales: I can bring that one in your size.

Giving directions:

Pergunta: Onde fica o banco?
Resposta: Siga em frente, o banco fica ao lado daquele prédio amarelo. — Question: Where is the bank? Answer: Go straight, the bank is next to that yellow building.

Practical tips for learners

Tip 1: Pay attention to gender. If the noun is masculino, use este/esse/aquele; if feminino, use esta/essa/aquela. Practice with common nouns: carro, casa, livro, mesa, bolsa.

Tip 2: Use esse/essa a lot in conversation. Brazilians commonly use esse/essa instead of este/esta in spoken language when referring to something just mentioned.

Tip 3: Learn contractions. Deste, dessa, naquele, neste appear often in signs, menus, and forms and will save you confusion.

Tip 4: Practice neuter words: isto, isso, aquilo. They are ideal when you talk about a situation, an idea, or when you do not know the noun.

Tip 5: Listen and repeat. Pay attention to native speakers in videos and songs; notice how demonstratives match the noun and the distance implied.

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake 1: Mixing up gender. Beginners sometimes say esse livro and essa livro. Fix: identify the noun gender first. Livro is masculino, so say esse livro or este livro.

Mistake 2: Overusing este. Many learners use este for everything; in Brazil, esse is often more natural. Fix: if the item is near the listener or already mentioned, try esse/essa.

Mistake 3: Forgetting contractions. Saying de esse instead of desse sounds incorrect. Fix: learn the common contractions with de and em.

Mistake 4: Confusing neuter forms. Using isto, isso, aquilo wrongly with a specific noun. Fix: use neuter forms only for ideas or when no noun follows; otherwise, use adjectival forms that agree with the noun.

Practice exercises for this, that, and those

Exercise 1: Replace the blank with the correct demonstrative (use Brazilian Portuguese).

1. ______ livro é meu. (this, near me)

2. Você trouxe ______ documentos? (those near you)

3. Olhe para ______ montanha lá. (that over there)

Answers: 1. Este / Este livro é meu. 2. Esses / Você trouxe esses documentos? 3. Aquela / Olhe para aquela montanha lá.

Exercise 2: Translate and adapt these simple English sentences into natural Brazilian Portuguese.

1. I like that shirt. — Gosto daquela camisa. or Gosto dessa camisa.

2. What is this? — O que é isto?

3. Those tickets are expensive. — Aqueles ingressos são caros.

Useful vocabulary list

este, esta, estes, estas — this (near speaker)

esse, essa, esses, essas — that (near listener or mentioned)

aquele, aquela, aqueles, aquelas — that over there / distant

isto, isso, aquilo — neuter demonstratives for ideas

deste, dessa, naquele, neste — common contracted forms

Resources for continued practice

Use simple language apps and listen to short Brazilian Portuguese dialogues that include demonstratives. Read menus, product labels, or signs and identify demonstratives. Practice speaking by describing objects around you: Este copo, essa mesa, aquele carro.

Conclusion

Mastering Portuguese demonstratives lets beginners point clearly, ask questions, and follow everyday conversations. Remember gender and number agreement, prefer esse/essa in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, learn contractions, and use neuter forms for ideas. Practice with short dialogues and real-life labeling to make demonstratives part of your active vocabulary.