Quick answer
este · ese · aquel
Spanish splits "that" in two: ese for what is near the listener, aquel for what is far from you both.
Three distances
| Distance | Masc. | Fem. | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| near me | este | esta | estos / estas |
| near you | ese | esa | esos / esas |
| far from both | aquel | aquella | aquellos / aquellas |
In use
Aquel also works in time, not just space: a distant past.
The neuter forms
esto, eso and aquello point at an idea, a situation or something unidentified. They never take a noun after them and never change form.
Memory trick
Is it in my space, your space, or nobody’s space? That single question picks este, ese or aquel.
Typical mistakes
¿Qué es este?
¿Qué es esto?
When you do not yet know what the thing is, you cannot give it a gender. Use the neuter esto.
Esta problema es difícil.
Este problema es difícil.
Problema is masculine despite the -a ending, so the demonstrative is masculine too.
Quiero eso camisa.
Quiero esa camisa.
The neuter eso never accompanies a noun. With camisa you need esa.
Check yourself
___ zapatos que llevas son bonitos.