Prefixes

The Spanish prefixes are to a large extent common with those of English. They are placed before a noun, adjective, adverb or verb, without changing the spelling. They are used to form new words by changing the meaning:

• legítimo → ilegítimo, illegitimate;
• nombre → sobrenombre, nickname.

There are six main categories of prefixes.

Quantitative prefixes: multi-, pluri-, bi-, poli-, co-

• multiétnico, multiethnic ;
• bilingüe, bilingual ;
• plurilingüe, multilingual, polyglot ;
• politécnico, polytechnic ;
• copiloto, co-pilot.

Intensive prefixes : super-, hiper-, sobre-, mini-, micro-, hipo-

• supermercado, supermarket;
• hiperbólico, hyperbolic;
• sobreprotegido, overprotected ;
• microcrédito, microcredit ;
• hipoglucemia, hypoglycemia.

Negative and privative prefixes: i-, in-, mal-, des-, dis-, a-

• ilegal, illegal;
• inaudito, unheard of, unprecedented;
• desocupado, unoccupied ;
• disgustar, displease, annoy ;
• malhumorado, bad tempered;
• apolítico, apolitical.

Time prefixes: pre-, post-, ante-

• predeterminado, predetermined;
• anteayer, day before yesterday;
• postparto, post-partum.

Oppositional prefixes : anti-, contra-

• antipático, unsympathetic:
• contraofensiva, counter-offensive.

Prefix of propensity and inclination : pro-

• proactivo, proactive, reactive.

Suffixes

Spanish suffixes have mostly a diminutive role, sometimes also an augmentative, appreciative or depreciative role.

Diminutives

Diminutives are very common, especially in speech. They are used to refer to a small size, but also as a mark of affection, tenderness, familiarity, sometimes also politeness. They apply to nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs.

They are formed with the suffixes -ito, -ita :

• casa → casita, small house ;
• Juan → Juanito, Little John.

A spelling change is sometimes necessary:

• chico → chiquito, little boy;
• un poco → un poquito, a little bit;
• cerca → cerquita, very close.

In some cases, the suffix is placed just before the end of the word and thus becomes an infix:

• azúcar → azuquítar, small sugar.
• Óscar→ Osquítar, Little Oscar.

We use-cito, -cita if the word ends with e, r or n :

• mujer → mujercita, little woman;
• llave → llavecita, small key.

We use -ecito, -ecita if the word is short (monosyllabic) and ends with a consonant:

• pan → panecito, bun;
• flor → florecita, small flower;
• luz → lucecita, small light.

If the word has a t in its last syllable, the suffix can change to -ico :

• momento → momentito
  short time (commonly used in the Madrid area or in Mexico);
• momento → momentico
  short time (commonly used in Aragon, Murcia, Colombia, Costa Rica or Cuba).

In everyday language, the formation of the diminutive is not always rigorous, several choices are sometimes possible:

• mamá → mamíta ;
• mamá → mamicíta
  little mother.

• vuelta → vueltita ;
• vuelta → vueltecita
  small tour.

Nuances of expression with a diminutive

In many cases, the diminutive does not refer to a small size, but serves to modulate the expression in an affectionate, familiar, or respectful sense. This is particularly the case when a diminutive is affixed to an adjective, an adverb or a verb.

• Estoy cansado.
  I am tired.
• Estoy cansadito.
  I am quite tired, I am exhausted.

• Vive sola.
  She lives alone.
• Vive solita.
  She lives alone.

• Vive cerca de mi casa.
  He lives near my house.
• Vive cerquita de mi casa.
  He lives next door to me.

• Espéreme un momento.
  Wait for me a moment.
• Espéreme un momentito.
  Please wait a moment (it won’t take long).

Augmentatives

Augmentative suffixes are numerous, mainly reserved for oral language. They are not always rigorously determined. Very often, only usage allows us to know them.

Suffixes -ote, -ota :

• palabra → palabrota, swear word;
• grande → grandote, very tall.

Suffixes -on, -ona :

• casa → casona, large house;
• mujer → mujerona, strong woman;
• un montón de gente, many people;
• un montonon de gente, a lot of people, a very large crowd.

Suffix -azo :

• hombre → hombrazo, huge man (very big or tall).

Nuances of expression with an augmentative

The suffixes -azo/a, -ote/a can express an appreciation:

• Tienes un sueldazo.
  You have a good salary, a high salary.
• Tengo un jefazo.
  I have a good leader, a quality leader.
• Es un amigote.
  He is a great friend, a valuable friend.

The suffixes -azo/a, -ote/a can express a depreciative or pejorative idea:

• Mi jefe es un animalote.
  My boss is an animal (meaning: he behaves like an animal).
• ¡No hagas tantas tonterías con tus amigotes!
  Don’t make so much nonsense with your friends! (implying: bad company).

The suffix -azo can express the idea of blow:

• cabezazo, headbutt;
• rodillazo, knee blow ;
• botellazo, bottle shot.

The suffixes -acho/a, -aco/a, -uzo/a, -ajo/a most often express a depreciative idea:

• libracho or libraco, bad book, without interest;
• gentuza, scum, scoundrels ;
• espantajo, scarecrow, problem or major difficulty.

As we can see, the forms of expression permitted by suffixes are rich and diverse. They are often determined by the context, since the same suffix can bring several different meanings.

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– QUE (who, what)
– EL CUAL / LA CUAL / LOS CUALES / LAS CUALES (which)
– QUIEN / QUIENES.
– EL QUE / LA QUE / LOS QUE / LAS QUE (which one, that one) ==> which can also replace “QUIEN / QUIENES”
– CUYO / CUYA ==> is translated as “whose” when it is a noun complement.

N.B : Relative pronouns are written without an accent so as not to confuse them with interrogative pronouns.

II. Subject relative pronouns

There is only one relative subject pronoun in English: “WHO”. In Spanish, this “Who” can be translated in different ways:

* By using the relative pronoun QUE (which can have people or things as antecedents).

• La chica que acaba de entrar es mi hermana ==> The girl who just entered is my sister.

* By using the relative pronoun EL CUAL ; which agrees in gender and number with its antecedent, becoming “los cuales” (masculine plural); “la cual” (feminine singular) or “las cuales” (feminine plural).

• Escribí a mi jefa, la cual me repsondio en seguida ==> I wrote to my boss and she answered right away.

==> The antecedent “jefa” is feminine, so the pronoun is granted using the pronoun “la cual“.

* By using the relative pronoun QUIEN, which agrees with its antecedent and before QUIENES in the plural.

• Esta señora, quien es una joven bailarina ==> This woman, who is a young dancer.

III. Relative pronouns as direct object complements

* QUE is the most commonly used relative pronoun. It is invariable and applies to persons and things.

• El animal que ví en el bosque es imponente==> The animal I saw in the forest is very imposing.

==> Here, “que” has the antecedent “El animal”.

* LO QUE is invariable and is translated as “What”.

• Es verdad, lo que me dijiste ==> It’s true what you told me.

IV. Relative pronouns as indirect object

* QUIEN / QUIENES is a relative pronoun that is used only for persons or things that are personified. QUIEN” agrees with its antecedent, becoming “QUIENES” in the plural. QUIEN/QUIENES are used after the following clauses : “a“, “de“, “con“, “en“, “para“, ou “por“.

• El amigo con quien cenamos se fue a dormir ==> The friend we had dinner with went to sleep. ==> “Quien” a pour antécédent “El amigo”.
• Los chicos con quienes estuve hablando son deportistas professionales ==> The boys I was talking to are professional athletes.

==> “Quienes” has as antecedent “los chicos”

* Used without antecedent, “QUIEN” can be translated as “who” or “the one who”. It can be used in proverbs or impersonal phrases.

• Quien siembra vientos recoge tempestades ==> He who sows the wind reaps the storm.
• Hay quien(es) piensa(n) que los unicornios existen ==> There are people who think that unicorns exist.

V. Use of CUYO to translate “whose”

* CUYO does NOT agree with its antecedent but with the noun that follows. CUYO can be translated as “Of which” when it is the complement of the noun.

• Es un museo cuyos cuadros son famosos ==> It is a museum whose paintings are famous.

On the other hand, if “whose” is the complement of a verb or an adjective, “whose” should be translated using the pronouns “del que” or “del cual” (which also agree in gender and number with their antecedent).

• Te compartiré las peliculas de las cuales te hablé ==> I’ll share the movies I told you about.

VI. Relative pronouns as a complement of place or time

In English, the relative pronoun “where” is used to express place and time (e.g. the restaurant where I eat every day). In Spanish, “where” is translated in different ways depending on whether it refers to place or time.

* The word DONDE is used to express the place

• El parque donde fuimos a correr esta cerrado ahora ==> The park where we went running is now closed.

* We use EN QUE to express the time

• El año en que tuvo un accidente ha sido duro ==> The year he had an accident was difficult.

N.B : The two relative pronouns “DONDE” and “EN QUE” are invariable.

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I. Formation and use of reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns (pronombres reflexivos) are used with pronominal verbs such as: LAVARSE (to wash oneself), DORMIRSE (to go to bed), DESPERTARSE (to wake up), VESTIRSE (to get dressed), MAQUILLARSE (to put on make-up), etc.

In Spanish the reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se and identify who (or what) is performing the action of the verb.

Example with the pronominal verb LAVARSE (To wash):

– (Yo) me lavo ==> I wash myself
– (Tú) te lavas ==> You wash yourself
– (Él/Ella/Usted) se lava ==> He washes himself
– (Nosotros) nos lavamos ==> We wash ourselves
– (Vosotros) os laváis ==> You wash yourself
– (Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes) se lavan ==>  They wash themselves

II. Placement of the reflexive pronoun

Reflexive pronouns are usually placed BEFORE the conjugated verb.

Example :

– Te molesta la música ==> The music disturbs you.
– Nos vestimos de blanco para la boda ==> We dress in white for the wedding.
– Nos sentimos traicionados ==> We feel betrayed.

CAUTION, in some situations, the reflexive pronoun is attached after the verb:

* When the verb is in the INFINITIVE:

Example:

– Tengo que deciros ==> I must tell you.
– Tienes que llevarles a casa ==> You have to bring them home.

* When the verb is conjugated in the positive IMPERATIVE :

Example :

– Lávate las manos ==> Wash your hands.
– Sentaos por favor ==> Please sit down.

* When the verb is conjugated in the GERUND

With the structure: ESTAR + GERUND ==> In this situation we can either attach the reflexive pronoun after the verb or place the reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb.

Example :

– Está comiéndose una manzana ==> Se está comiendo una manzana ==> He is eating an apple.
– Estamos divirtiéndonos con una película ==> Nos estamos divirtiendo con una película ==> We are having fun watching a movie.

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Personal pronouns as direct object complements

Direct object personal pronouns are used to replace a noun that the sentence is clearly about. They can be used to replace a proper noun or a common noun. The direct object personal pronouns are as follows:

• me 
• te 
• lo or la 
• nos 
• os 
• los or las 

Thus, in an affirmative sentence, when the subject is clearly identified by the speaker, it will be possible to replace the noun with a personal pronoun as a direct object complement.

Instead of writing “el gato come el ratón” (the cat eats the mouse), you can say “el gato lo come” (the cat eats it).

Examples:

• Tu hijo no me habla = Your son doesn’t talk to me
• Te quiero = I love you
• Paolo lo rompió = Paolo broke it
• Mi mamá nos trajó comida = My mother brought us food
• Sandra no os conoce = Sandra doesn’t know you
• Perdí mis anteojos. Los has visto ? = I lost my glasses. Have you seen them?

When the personal pronoun is the direct object of a verb in the infinitive or gerund, it can be stuck to the end of the verb.

Examples :

• Vinó a visitarme el lunes = He came to see me on Monday
• Puedes llamarlo ahora = You can call him now
• Estoy esperandolo = I’m waiting for it
• Estan superándonos = They are overtaking us

Les pronoms personnels compléments d’objet indirect

In Spanish, indirect object personal pronouns are useful to replace a noun that refers to a person.

They replace a person indirectly involved in the action. They give information about the person to whom or for whom the action described in the sentence is done.

Only third person indirect object personal pronouns differ from direct object personal pronouns. The indirect object personal pronouns are :

• me 
• te 
• le 
• nos 
• os 
• les 

In a sentence, it is therefore sufficient to identify the indirect object of the sentence in order to replace it with the corresponding indirect object personal pronoun.

In the statement “Pedro compró un regalo a Juan” (Pedro bought Juan a present), it is possible to replace the indirect object “a Juan” (to Juan) with the indirect object personal pronoun “le“.

We then obtain the sentence “Pedro le compró un regalo”.

Examples :

• Me envió una carta = He sent me a letter
• Gabriel te manda un paquete = Gabriel is sending you a package
• Le quiero decir algo importante = I want to tell him something important
• Nos quiere comprar la casa = He wants to buy us the house
• Maria os va a visitar jueves = Maria will come to see you on Thursday
• Les van a hablar primero = They will talk to them first

As in the case of the direct object personal pronoun, the indirect object personal pronoun can be placed at the end of the verb when it concerns a verb in the infinitive or gerund.

Examples :

• Voy a visitarle mañana = I will visit him tomorrow
• Quieres comprarle un regalo ahora ? = You want to buy You want to buy him a present now?a present now?
• Marco vinó a hablarles = Marco came to talk to Marco came to talk to them

Double pronoun

When a verb is accompanied by two personal pronouns as object complements, the personal pronoun as indirect object complement, relating to a person, is always placed before the personal pronoun as direct object complement, replacing a person or a thing.

The indirect object personal pronouns “le” and “les” become “se” when placed before the direct object personal pronouns “lo”, “la”, “los” or “las”.

Examples :

• Pablo me lo dió = Pablo gave it to me
• Maria nos lo a dicho = Maria told us
• Marcelo se los compra = Marcelo buys it for them
• Yo se las comparto = I share it with them

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In Spanish, there is a grammatical phenomenon that is often found: it is characterized by the addition of one or two personal pronouns right after the conjugated verb.

The pronoun can be direct, indirect or reflexive and is joined to the end of the verb so that only one word is formed and the tonic accent remains unchanged.

Moreover, so that the accented syllable does not change, in most cases, a written accent must be added.

How do I place ‘lo’?

It can be formed by one or more pronouns.

In the following example there can be only one pronoun:

• Dílo. (Say it)

Different modes

There are three different ways to add ‘lo’. First, it’s found in the infinitive.

• Hay que tenerlo. (You must have it)

It also exists in the gerund.

• Puede pasar tiempo haciéndolo sin parar. (He can spend time doing it without stopping)

In this example, an accent has been added to the “e” so that the tonic accent is kept.

Finally, it also appears in the imperative:

The written accent

As we have seen, a written accent must be added when adding ‘lo’ so that the tonic syllable is unchanged.

In general, the tonic syllable of words that end with a consonant other than “n” or “s” are on the last syllable.

On the other hand, for words that end in a vowel, an “n” or an “s”, the tonic syllable is located on the second to last syllable.

For example, if we take the verb “enfrentarse” and conjugate it in the second person singular in the imperative, we get “enfrentate“.

The stress is normally on the penultimate syllable since the base of the verb is “enfrenta” and, since the personal pronoun “te” is added at the end, an accent is added on the “e” so that the stress is kept on the proper syllable.

Thus, adding ‘lo’ is often present in Spanish. It has some peculiarities regarding the order of the pronouns and the written accent.

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Just like in English, in Spanish there are different subject personal pronouns to use depending on who is speaking.

Yo (I/me) :
Yo me llamo Ana. (My name is Ana).

Tú (you) :
Tú cocinas muy bien. (You cook very well).

Él (He) :
Él no quiere trabajar. (He doesn’t want to work).

Ella (She) :
Ella hace sus deberes. (She does her homework).

Usted (You – polite) :
Usted puede entrar. (You may enter.)
Warning: this is the polite way of addressing one person.

Nosotros / nosotras (us) :
Nosotras queremos bailar en la playa. (We want to dance on the beach).

The feminine “we” does not exist in English. In Spanish, there is a form for a grouping of boys/men and a form for a grouping of girls/women.

Vosotros, vosotras (you – plural) :
Vosotras saben coser. (You know how to sew).

Ellos (them – masculine) :
Ellos perdieron peso. (They have lost weight).

Ellas (them – feminine) :
Ellas viven en una casita de montaña. (They live in a small country house).

Ustedes (you / plural / polite) :
¿ Ustedes quieren una taza de te ? (Would you like a cup of tea?)

There are two versions of the English polite “you” in Spanish: a singular version (usted) and a plural version (ustedes).

The verb of the sentence is conjugated accordingly.

Note: the use of a subject personal pronoun in a Spanish sentence is not always necessary, but can be very useful to understand the sentence when there is no context.

“Sabe cantar” can be translated as “he can sing”, “she can sing” or “you can sing”.

To remove any doubt from the reader’s mind, the appropriate personal pronoun should be added, for example, él sabe cantar (“he knows how to sing”).

The use of a personal pronoun also helps to emphasize the subject:

• “Yo sabe cantar” (implied “I can sing (and you can’t, for example)”).
• No tienen libros, él tiene. (They don’t have books, he has one).

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Quién

“Quién” is used to ask about the identity of a person.

It is translated into English as “who” and is often used in the same way.

The only difference with the use of “who” in English is that “quién” is agreed in the plural when it refers to a group of people.

The use of the preposition “a” or “de” is also possible before “quién”.

Examples :

• ¿Quién es ese muchacho? =Who is this young man?
• ¿A quién llamaste? =Who did you call?
• ¿De quiénes son estos libros? =Whose books are these?
• ¿Quiénes han llegado primeros? =Who came first?

Qué

“Qué” refers to things or actions. It can be translated as “that” or “what” depending on the context. It is invariable, but can be preceded by a preposition.

Examples :

• ¿Qué haces? =What are you doing?
• ¿Qué está pasando? =What’s going on?
• ¿De qué hablaste con tu hermana? =What did you and your sister talk about?
• ¿En qué estás pensando? =What are you thinking about?

Por qué/Para qué

The interrogative pronoun “why” can be translated as “por qué” or “para qué“.

Examples :

• ¿Por qué haces eso? = Why are you doing this?
• ¿Por qué los gatos ronronean? = Why do cats purr?
• ¿Por qué te vas? = Why are you leaving?
• ¿Para qué ir a la escuela si ya sé todo? = Why go to school if I already know everything?

Cuál

“Cuál” is used to introduce a question that leaves a choice between two or more things.

“Cuál” is given in the plural when it refers to several choices in the same sentence or to the choice between two groups of objects.

It can be translated as “what” or “which one(s)”.

Examples :

• ¿Cuál es tu favorito? = Which one is your favorite?
• ¿Cuál es tu nombre? = What is your name?
• ¿Cuáles te gustan más? = Which ones do you like the most?
• ¿Cuáles son los síntomas? = What are the symptoms?

Cómo

“Cómo” is translated as “How”. It allows you to ask the person you are talking to about the state of a thing or a person or how it works.

Examples :

• ¿Cómo se escribe? = How do you spell it?
• ¿Cómo estás? = How are you?
• ¿Cómo es la vida en Cuba? = How is life in Cuba?
• ¿Cómo hacer para perder peso? = How do you lose weight?

Cuánto

“Cuánto” is the only interrogative pronoun that agrees in gender and number. It means “how many”.

The masculine form is the most used. However, if the objects referred to are grammatically feminine, “cuántas” should be used.

Examples :

• ¿Cuánto cuesta? = How much does it cost?
• ¿Cuánta plata tiene? = How much money do you have?
• ¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you?
• ¿Cuántas personas van a ir? = How many people will go?

Cuándo

“Cuándo” translates to “when”. It is used to ask about the situation of events in time, whether they are future or past.

Some prepositions can be placed before “cuándo”.

This is the case of “hasta” (until) or “para” (for).

Examples :

• ¿Cuándo naciste? =  When were you born?
• ¿Cuándo vamos? = When are we leaving?
• ¿Hasta cuándo tenemos que dejarlo ? = Until when do we leave?

Dónde/Adónde

The interrogative pronouns “dónde” and “adónde” are used to ask about a place or direction.

Although “adónde” refers more specifically to a place to go, both forms of the interrogative pronoun are now accepted without distinction.

Examples :

• ¿Dónde estás? =  Where are you?
• ¿Adónde vas? = Where are you going?
• ¿Dónde empieza tu terreno? = Where does your land begin?
• ¿Adónde podemos ir para comer las mejores pizzas? = Where can we go to eat the best pizza?

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Indefinite pronouns are a small group of words that refer to a vague and imprecise quantity or quality.

They do not refer to specific persons or objects. They are always invariable in gender and number.

They are mostly used to express general ideas or approximations.

Algo/Alguien

“Algo” and “alguien” are the indefinite pronouns that translate to “something” and “someone” respectively. In Spanish, these two indefinite pronouns are sometimes introduced by the preposition “a”.

Examples :

• Comiste algo hoy ? = Did you eat something today?
• Tengo algo para ti = I have something for you
• He visto a alguien en la cas = I saw someone in the house
• Alguien me dijo = Someone told me

Nada/Nadie

“Nada” and “nadie” are indefinite pronouns that can be translated as “nothing” and “nobody”. They are also sometimes introduced by the preposition “a”.

Examples :

• No tengo más nada que hacer = I have nothing left to do
• No hay nada en mi casa = There is nothing in my hand
• Nadie sabe nada = Nobody knows anything
• No quiero ver a nadie ! = I don’t want to see anyone!

Cualquiera/Quienquiera

“Cualquiera” takes on the meaning of “any one” or “anyone”. “Quienquiera” is more rarely used, it often precedes “que” in some literary expressions.

Examples :

• Cualquiera lo puede hacer = Anyone can do it
• Aqui puede venir cualquiera = Here, anyone can come
• Quienquiera que sea = Whoever it is

Variable pronouns

Variable indefinite pronouns are used to replace a noun or a nominal group.

They agree in gender and number with the noun they replace. The most common are: mucho, todo, alguno, vario, ninguno.

Be careful, these words can also be used as indefinite determiners if they precede a noun in order to specify the quantity.

Examples :

• Muchos fueron al cine = Many went to the movies
• Muchas de las flores tienen lindos colores = Many of the flowers have beautiful colors
• Ha robado todo = He stole everything
• Estamos todos aqui = We are all here
• Algunos lo saben = Some know it
• Me gustaría tener algunos = I would like to have some
• Varios me gustan = There are several I like
• En el supermercado tienen varias = At the supermarket they have some
• No me queda ninguna = I have none left
• Ninguno fue eficaz = None were effective

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I. Forms of demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns (pronombres demonstrativos) are used to replace a noun. They designate the object, the action or the person that is being talked about.

In the past, demonstrative pronouns were distinguished from demonstrative adjectives (este, ese, aquel) by the written accent (éste, ése, aquél).

However, since the last spelling reform published by the Real Academia in 2010, the diacritical accent on demonstrative pronouns has disappeared.

Therefore, there is no longer any spelling difference between demonstrative pronouns and adjectives.

The demonstrative pronouns are divided into three categories according to their gender: masculine, feminine or neuter.

* The masculine singular demonstrative pronouns are : Este, Ese, Aquel
* The masculine plural demonstrative pronouns are: Estos, Esos, Aquellos

* Feminine singular demonstrative pronouns are: Esta, Esa, Aquella
* Feminine demonstrative pronouns in the plural are: Estas, Esas, Aquellas

* The neutral demonstrative pronouns are:  Esto, Eso, Aquello

They are translated into English as this one, that one

II. Use and meaning

The choice of pronoun to use depends on the distance between the subject and what it refers to. There are three different forms in Spanish: este, ese and aquel, that allows us to situate, in different degrees, in time or space, the thing, person or action designated by the pronoun.

* ESTE designates an action, an object or a person close in time or space. In relation to a person, this form refers to the speaker (YO, NOSOTROS)

Example :

• Compré algunas verduras y esta es la más cara ==> I bought some vegetables and this is the most expensive one.
• Estas chicas que están aquí ==> Those girls over there.
• Este coche es mío, aquel es suyo ==> This car is mine, this one is his.

* ESE refers to an action, an object or a person not very far away in time or space. In relation to a person, this form refers to the interlocutors (TU, USTED(ES), VOSOTROS)

Example :

• Estos zapatos son míos, y esos son tuyos ==> These shoes are mine, and these are yours.
• Esas casas son modernas, en comparación con estas ==> These houses are modern, compared to those.
• Ese coche es tuyo y aquel es suyo==> This car is yours, and that one is his.

* AQUEL refers to an action, an object or a person far away in time or space. In relation to a person, this form refers to a third person (EL, ELLA, ELLOS, ELLAS)

Example :

• En aquella época, no había computadores ==> In those days, there were no computers.
• Aquel coche es suyo, este es vuestro ==> This car is his, this one is yours.

N.B :

* Aquel (and its derivatives) can also have an emphatic or laudatory value.

Example :

• Aquella mujer ==> This woman (expresses admiration).

* Ese (and its derivatives) can have a pejorative value.

Example :

• Ese pobre chico ==> This poor child

III. Neutral pronouns

Neutral pronouns do not refer to either a masculine or a feminine noun. They are invariable and are used for :

* Expressing a statement or enumeration:

Example :

• Todo esto es mío ==> All this is mine.

* Refer to a previously stated concept:

Example :

• Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con eso que me cuenta ==> I completely agree with what you are telling me.
• Eso es muy interesante ==> This is very interesting.

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