How to Say "that one" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “that one” is “ese” — use 'ese' to replace a masculine singular noun that is near the listener or farther away from the speaker..
ese
/EH-seh//'ese/
Examples
¿Cuál prefieres? —Prefiero ese.
Which one do you prefer? —I prefer that one.
No me gusta este, me gusta más ese.
I don't like this one, I like that one more.
De todos los candidatos, ese parece el mejor.
Of all the candidates, that one seems the best.
A Handy Shortcut
Use 'ese' to avoid repeating a masculine noun that's already been mentioned or is obvious. It's like saying 'that one' instead of 'that car' again.
The Old Accent Mark
Mistake: “Thinking you must write 'ése' with an accent when it's a pronoun.”
Correction: The official rule changed in 2010. You no longer need an accent on 'ese' (or 'este'/'aquel'). The same word works for both meanings. You might still see the old accent in older books, but it's not needed today.
esa
/EH-sah//'esa/
Examples
—¿Qué falda te gusta más? —Me gusta esa.
—Which skirt do you like more? —I like that one.
No quiero esta manzana, prefiero esa.
I don't want this apple, I prefer that one.
De todas las ideas que propusiste, esa es mi favorita.
Of all the ideas you proposed, that one is my favorite.
Replacing a Noun
When everyone already knows what you're talking about, you can use 'esa' by itself to mean 'that one'. It saves you from repeating the noun.
The Old Accent Mark
Mistake: “Sometimes you'll see 'ésa' written in older books.”
Correction: You don't need the accent mark anymore! The official rule since 2010 is to write 'esa' without an accent, whether it's an adjective or a pronoun. It makes life simpler!
aquel
ah-KEHL/aˈkel/
Examples
¿Ves mi mochila? No, no esa, aquel es la mía.
Do you see my backpack? No, not that one (close by), that one (way over there) is mine.
Prefiero aquel a este.
I prefer that one (far away) to this one (close to me).
Replacing the Noun
When 'aquel' stands alone and replaces a previously mentioned masculine singular noun, it acts as a pronoun. It means 'that thing/person that is far away'.
Optional Accent Mark
In older books, you might see 'aquél' with an accent mark to show it's a pronoun. Today, the Spanish Royal Academy says the accent is usually unnecessary, so just use 'aquel'.
aquella
ah-KAY-yah/aˈkeʎa/
Examples
Mi mochila es azul. ¿Ves aquella?
My backpack is blue. Do you see that one (far away)?
Compramos dos entradas: una para la función de hoy y aquella para la de mañana.
We bought two tickets: one for today's showing and that one (the former/the other) for tomorrow's.
No quiero esta bufanda, dame aquella que está en el escaparate.
I don't want this scarf, give me that one (far away) that's in the display window.
Standing Alone
When 'aquella' is used as a pronoun, it replaces the feminine noun entirely and stands alone, acting as the subject or object of the sentence.
Pronoun vs. Adjective
The meaning is the same as the adjective, but if you can put 'one' or 'ones' after the English translation, it's the pronoun form.
Adding the Noun
Mistake: “Aquella casa es bonita, pero aquella casa es más barata.”
Correction: Aquella casa es bonita, pero aquella es más barata. (You only need the noun 'casa' once; 'aquella' takes its place the second time.)
Confusing Distance vs. Gender
Related Translations
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