Portuguese Demonstrative Pronouns Explained
In Brazilian Portuguese, demonstrative pronouns are used to point out people, things, or locations in relation to the speaker or listener. Let’s break them down into masculine, feminine, and neutral forms, as well as their connection to locations like “aqui,” “aí,” “ali,” and “lá.”
1. Masculine, Feminine, and Neutral Forms
- Masculine:
- Este (this – closer)
- Esse (this – close)
- Aquele (that – far from both speaker and listener)
- Feminine:
- Esta (this – closer)
- Essa (this – close)
- Aquela (that – far from both)
- Neutral (no gender):
- Isto (this – closer)
- Isso (this – close)
- Aquilo (that – far from both)
2. Everyday Usage: Simplifying Este/Esse
In daily conversations, Brazilians don’t typically distinguish between este and esse. Most of the time, we simply use esse/essa/isso for anything close to the speaker or listener. For example:
- Instead of saying “Este é meu amigo” (This is my friend), we say “Esse é meu amigo.”
- Instead of saying “Isto é incrível” (This is amazing), we say “Isso é incrível.”
3. Locations: Aqui, Aí, Ali, Lá
Demonstrative pronouns are often paired with adverbs of place to clarify where something is located:
- Aqui (here): Close to the speaker
- “Este livro está aqui.” (This book is here.)
- Aí (there): Where the listener is.
- “Esse livro está aí.” (That book is there, near you.)
- Ali (over there): A little bit far, for example in the next street.
- “Aquele livro está ali.” (That book is over there.)
- Lá (over there): Far away.
- “Aquele livro está lá.” (That book is way over there.)
Practical Examples
- Neutral Contexts:
- O que é isso? (What is that?) – Neutral, close to the listener.
- O que é aquilo? (What is that over there?) – Neutral, far from both.
- Feminine & Masculine with Objects:
- Essa cadeira é confortável. (This chair is comfortable.) – Feminine, close to speaker.
- Esse carro é rápido. (This car is fast.) – Masculine, close to listener or speaker.
- Locations in Dialogue:
- Aqui: Estou aqui em casa. (I’m here at home.)
- Aí: Como está o tempo aí? (How’s the weather there?)
- Ali/Lá: Eu vejo uma loja lá. (I see a store over there.)