aquellos

/ah-KEH-yos/

those

Three identical red spherical balls placed very far away across a wide, empty green field, emphasizing distance and plurality.

Aquellos functions as an adjective, referring to distant masculine plural nouns, like 'those balls.'

aquellos(adjective)

mA1

those

referring to masculine plural nouns far away

📝 In Action

¿Ves aquellos edificios que están junto al río?

Do you see those buildings that are next to the river?

Aquellos días fueron los mejores de mi vida.

Those days were the best of my life.

Necesito llevarme aquellos libros de la estantería de arriba.

I need to take those books from the top shelf (far away).

Word Connections

Antonyms

estos (these (close))

Common Collocations

Aquellos tiempos – Those times/back then
Aquellos hombres – Those men

💡 Grammar Points

Distance Check (Farthest)

Use 'aquellos' for things that are far away from both you and the person you are talking to. If they are close to one of you, use 'estos' or 'esos' instead.

Always Matches

Since 'aquellos' is describing a noun, it must match the noun exactly: masculine and plural (e.g., 'aquellos coches').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Distance

Mistake: "Using 'aquellos' when referring to something close (e.g., 'Tráeme aquellos zapatos de aquí')."

Correction: Use 'Tráeme estos zapatos de aquí' (close) or 'Tráeme esos zapatos de allí' (mid-distance). 'Aquellos' is for things very far away.

A cluster of four identical tall green trees standing alone on the crest of a distant grassy hill.

As a pronoun, aquellos replaces a distant masculine plural noun, referring to 'those ones' (the trees).

aquellos(pronoun)

mA2

those (ones)

replacing a distant masculine plural noun

Also:

the former

used when contrasting with 'estos' (the latter)

📝 In Action

Mira los árboles. Aquellos son robles.

Look at the trees. Those ones (far away) are oaks.

Tengo dos problemas: el dinero y el tiempo. Aquellos son más fáciles de resolver.

I have two problems: money and time. Those (the former) are easier to solve.

De todos los cuadros, prefiero aquellos que tienen colores vivos.

Of all the paintings, I prefer those (ones) that have bright colors.

Word Connections

Antonyms

estos (these ones (close))

💡 Grammar Points

Replacing the Noun

When 'aquellos' is used as a pronoun, you don't use the noun after it. It means 'those ones' and stands alone to refer to the group of things far away.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Adding the Accent

Mistake: "Writing 'aquéllos' with an accent."

Correction: Demonstrative pronouns (like 'aquellos') no longer require a written accent mark to distinguish them from the adjective form. Just write 'aquellos'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking about the Past

'Aquellos' can be used to talk about things (like years or periods) that are distant in time, not just space. E.g., 'Aquellos años 80...'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: aquellos

Question 1 of 2

Which Spanish word correctly replaces the phrase 'los árboles que están en la cima de la montaña' (The trees that are on the mountain top)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

aquel(that one (masculine singular, far away)) - adjective/pronoun

aquella(that one (feminine singular, far away)) - adjective/pronoun

aquellas(those (feminine plural, far away)) - adjective/pronoun

aquello(that thing (neuter, undefined)) - pronoun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'aquellos' and 'esos'?

Both mean 'those' (masculine plural). The difference is distance: 'Aquellos' refers to things very far away from both you and your listener (like 'yonder'). 'Esos' refers to things at a medium distance, often closer to the listener.

Does 'aquellos' need an accent mark?

No. The Real Academia Española (RAE) confirmed that the accent mark is no longer required for demonstrative words like 'aquellos' (when used as a pronoun) because it is almost never necessary to distinguish the pronoun from the adjective.