aquello

ah-KEH-yoh/aˈkeʎo/

“aquello” means “that” in Spanish (referring to an abstract idea or general situation).

that, that thing

Also: the whole thing

PronounA2

A simplified drawing of a solitary figure standing on a grassy foreground, looking across a wide, empty field toward a distant, glowing, undefined shape on the horizon.

📝 In Action

Aquello que dijiste me hizo pensar mucho.

That thing you said made me think a lot.

No quiero volver a hablar de aquello.

I don't want to talk about that (situation) again.

Aquello era la década de los ochenta, cuando las cosas eran diferentes.

That was the eighties, when things were different.

Word Connections

Synonyms

eso (that (closer or less abstract))

Common Collocations

por aquello de – because of that thing / for the sake of
recordar aquello – to remember that situation

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Often confused with aquelgrammar-concepts

→

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "aquello" in Spanish:

that→that thing→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: aquello

Question 1 of 1

Which word is the best translation for 'That (entire situation) was wonderful!'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

aquel(that (masculine)) — Adjective / Pronoun

aquella(that (feminine)) — Adjective / Pronoun

aquí(here) — Adverb

allí(there (farther)) — Adverb

🎵 Rhymes▼

ello cuello

📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin phrase *eccum illud*, meaning 'behold that' or 'look at that.' It is part of the same family as 'aquel,' 'este,' and 'ese,' all of which point to things in space or time.

First recorded: Medieval Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: aquilo

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'aquello' and 'eso'?

Both 'aquello' and 'eso' are neutral pronouns referring to abstract ideas. The main difference is distance: 'eso' refers to something closer or more recent (like 'that' right here), while 'aquello' refers to something farther away in time or space (like 'that' way over there, or 'that' memory from years ago).

Can 'aquello' be used to talk about a person?

No. 'Aquello' is strictly for abstract things, ideas, concepts, or whole situations. To refer to a specific distant person, you would use 'aquel' (masculine) or 'aquella' (feminine).