A2Lesson 6: Demonstratives, Possessives & Weather
Demonstratives indicate physical or temporal distance with a three-way distinction (this/that/that over there), though Brazilian Portuguese has simplified usage with "esse/essa" dominating in most contexts where traditional grammar prescribes "este/esta."
este/esta = this (near speaker) - formal/written
esse/essa = that (near listener/just mentioned) - most common
aquele/aquela = that over there (far from both)
Must agree in gender and number
Plural: estes/estas, esses/essas, aqueles/aquelas
Neutral: isto, isso, aquilo (no gender)
Contract with de/em: desse, nesse, daquele, naquele
Brazilian speech: esse/essa for almost everything
Demonstratives are your pointing fingers in Portuguese! From shopping ("Quero esse" - I want that one) to storytelling ("Nesse dia..." - On that day) to texting ("Isso!" - Exactly!), they're everywhere. But here's the catch: Brazilians basically abandoned the formal three-way system for a simpler one where "esse" rules supreme. Knowing both systems helps you understand everyone from professors to street vendors, and using them naturally makes you sound truly Brazilian rather than like a textbook!
demonstrative + noun (adjective use) OR demonstrative alone (pronoun use)
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| Distance | Masculine | Feminine | Neutral | Plural M | Plural F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near speaker | este | esta | isto | estes | estas |
| Near listener | esse | essa | isso | esses | essas |
| Far from both | aquele | aquela | aquilo | aqueles | aquelas |
esse/essa = covers 80% of all uses
"Quero esse sapato" (I want that shoe)
"Não, esse não. Aquele ali" (No, not that one. That one there)
"Essa blusa fica bem em você" (That blouse looks good on you)
"Pode me mostrar aquela bolsa?" (Can you show me that purse?)
"Isso que eu queria falar!" (That's what I wanted to say!)
"Esses dias estão difíceis" (These days are difficult)
"Nessa situação, o que fazer?" (In this situation, what to do?)
"Aquilo que você disse ontem..." (What you said yesterday...)
Never demonstratives alone:
"Está fazendo frio" (not "Isto está frio")
"Faz tempo" (not "Isso é tempo")
Some expressions keep formal forms:
"Deste modo" (in this way)
"Neste interim" (in the meantime)
"A esta altura" (at this point)
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