Este, ese y aquel: demostrativos en la Puerta del Sol

Spanish has three distances, aquí, ahí and allí, and a demonstrative for each one. Pilar explains them while showing some corners and curiosities of the Puerta del Sol.

Do you know how to correctly use demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in Spanish (este, ese, aquel)? Learn it with this free Spanish lesson brought to you by Tilde Madrid Spanish school in Madrid

Key points

Three distances: aquí (near me), ahí (near you), allí (far from both of us).
A demonstrative for each distance: este, ese, aquel; esta, esa, aquella; estos, esos, aquellos; estas, esas, aquellas.
They place things in space and also in time: este año, aquella época.
Curiosities of the Puerta del Sol: the clock that rings in the New Year with the twelve grapes, the Kilómetro Cero and the statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree (el Oso y el Madroño).

Frequent doubts

Do este, ese and aquel have a written accent?

Normally not, even when they work as pronouns: Quiero este, no ese. The RAE only allows the accent in the rare cases where the sentence could be ambiguous.

What is the Kilómetro Cero?

A plaque on the pavement of the Puerta del Sol that marks the starting point of the main roads of Spain.

What do Spaniards do on New Year's Eve in the Puerta del Sol?

They eat twelve grapes, one with each chime of the clock at midnight. Most of the country watches it live on television.

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Este, ese y aquel (en la Puerta del Sol de Madrid)

Key points

Frequent doubts

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