The Grammar Trap: Why English Speakers Keep Translating 'These' Incorrectly
By Marcus Vance
English recognizes two physical distances: "here" (these) and "there" (those). Spanish divides physical and temporal space into a three-tier system. This makes picking between estos vs estas and esos vs estas a matter of literal physical measurement.
Tier one covers objects within immediate reach of the speaker: estos and estas. Tier two encompasses objects closer to the listener, or moderately removed from the speaker: esos and esas. Tier three indicates items far removed from both parties: aquellos and aquellas. Misidentifying distance creates bizarre conversational moments where a native listener cannot parse which item you are gesturing toward.
| Demonstrative Form | Grammatical Function | Spatial Distance | English Translation Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estos | Masculine Plural | Close to the speaker | These (masculine / mixed) |
| Estas | Feminine Plural | Close to the speaker | These (feminine) |
| Esos / Esas | Masculine / Feminine Plural | Near the listener | Those (mid-distance) |
| Aquellos / Aquellas | Masculine / Feminine Plural | Far from both speaker & listener | Those over there (distant) |
When translating those in spanish, English speakers frequently stumble into the boundary line between esos and aquellos. If you point across a room to shoes by the front door, you use esos zapatos. If you point across a public plaza to cars parked three streets away, you shift to aquellos coches. Precision matters.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
