Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate specific things in relation to distance. In Portuguese, they also undergo inflection according to gender and number.

Usage

Demonstrative pronouns are used to replace specific nouns or noun phrases that have already been mentioned or are easily understood from the context. They help to indicate the distance between the speaker and the object or person being referred to.

Here are the three forms of demonstrative pronouns in Portuguese:

• Este (masc. sing.) / Esta (fem. sing.) / Estes (masc. plur.) / Estas (fem. plur.): Used to refer to something close to the speaker.

  • Examples: Este livro é interessante (This book is interesting), Estes sapatos são novos (These shoes are new).

• Esse (masc. sing.) / Essa (fem. sing.) / Esses (masc. plur.) / Essas (fem. plur.): Used to refer to something close to the listener or previously mentioned.

  • Examples: Essa casa é bonita (That house is beautiful), Essas pinturas são incríveis (Those paintings are amazing).

• Aquele (masc. sing.) / Aquela (fem. sing.) / Aqueles (masc. plur.) / Aquelas (fem. plur.): Used to refer to something far from both the speaker and the listener.

  • Examples: Aquele carro é meu (That car is mine), Aquelas montanhas são impressionantes (Those mountains are impressive).

Note that the choice between "este/esta/estes/estas", "esse/essa/esses/essas", and "aquele/aquela/aqueles/aquelas" depends on the distance from the speaker and can vary based on the speaker's perception.

Inflection

Demonstrative pronouns in Portuguese undergo inflection according to gender and number to match the noun they replace. The inflection rules are as follows:

• Gender: Demonstrative pronouns agree in gender with the noun they refer to.

  • Examples: Este livro (this book - masc.), Esta casa (this house - fem.), Esses cachorros (those dogs - masc. plur.), Aquelas flores (those flowers - fem. plur.).

• Number: Demonstrative pronouns agree in number with the noun they replace.

  • Examples: Estes sapatos (these shoes - masc. plur.), Essa mesa (that table - fem. sing.), Aqueles gatos (those cats - masc. plur.), Aquela garrafa (that bottle - fem. sing.).

Remember that in Portuguese, nouns have grammatical gender (masculine or feminine) and grammatical number (singular or plural). Demonstrative pronouns must match these features.

Summary

• Demonstrative pronouns indicate specific things in relation to distance.
• The three forms of demonstrative pronouns are: "este/esta/estes/estas" (close to the speaker), "esse/essa/esses/essas" (close to the listener or previously mentioned), and "aquele/aquela/aqueles/aquelas" (far from both the speaker and the listener).
• Demonstrative pronouns are inflected to agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
• In Portuguese, nouns have grammatical gender (masculine or feminine) and grammatical number (singular or plural), and demonstrative pronouns must match these features.