Demonstratives: acesta/aceasta, acela/aceea
Can use demonstrative pronouns correctly
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Acesta este fratele meu și aceea este sora mea.
This is my brother and that is my sister.
Ăsta e bun, dar ăla e mai bun.
This one is good, but that one is better.
Aceste cărți sunt ale mele, acelea sunt ale tale.
These books are mine, those are yours.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
acesta/aceasta (this), acela/aceea (that). Short forms: ăsta, asta, ăla, aia.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesGender-number agreement and full vs short forms.
Wrong gender on demonstrative
Demonstratives agree in gender+number: acesta (m.sg), aceasta (f.sg), aceștia (m.pl), acestea (f.pl).
Mixing formal (acesta) and colloquial (ăsta) registers
Use acesta/aceasta in writing and formal speech. ăsta/asta in casual conversation.
Acesta este fratele meu și aceea este sora mea.
This is my brother and that is my sister.
'Acesta' = this (masc.). 'Aceea' = that (fem.). Gender must match the noun referred to.
Ăsta e bun, dar ăla e mai bun.
This one is good, but that one is better.
Short forms: 'ăsta' = acesta, 'ăla' = acela. Very common in speech! 'Mai bun' = better.
Aceste cărți sunt ale mele, acelea sunt ale tale.
These books are mine, those are yours.
'Aceste' = these (fem. pl. adjective form). 'Acelea' = those (fem. pl. pronoun).
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises