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How to Say "those ones" in Spanish

English → Spanish

esas

/EH-sahs//'esas/

pronounA2general
Use 'esas' to replace feminine plural nouns when the items are relatively close or not specifically distant.
A hand clearly indicating a pile of bright green pears located at a distance, contrasted with a pile of red pears closer to the viewer, representing the pronoun 'those ones'.

Examples

De todas las flores, prefiero esas.

Of all the flowers, I prefer those ones.

—¿Qué sillas quieres? —Esas de ahí.

—Which chairs do you want? —Those ones over there.

Estas manzanas son rojas, pero esas son verdes.

These apples are red, but those are green.

Replacing Nouns to Sound Natural

Use 'esas' by itself to replace a feminine, plural noun you just mentioned. Instead of saying 'Me gustan esas casas,' you can just say 'Me gustan esas' if everyone knows you're talking about houses.

Adding an Accent Mark (Old Rule!)

Mistake: “Me gustan ésas.”

Correction: Me gustan esas. A long time ago, you had to write an accent mark on 'ésas' when it replaced a noun. Good news! The rule has changed, and you no longer need the accent. It's always 'esas'.

ésos

/EH-sohs//ˈesos/

pronounA1general
Use 'ésos' to replace masculine or mixed-gender plural nouns when the items are relatively close or not specifically distant.
A child pointing towards two blue chairs that are a short distance away.

Examples

¿Qué zapatos prefieres? —Ésos.

Which shoes do you prefer? —Those ones.

Ésos no son mis libros.

Those are not my books.

Me gustan los coches, especialmente ésos.

I like the cars, especially those ones.

The 'Middle Distance' Word

Use this word to point to things that are near the person you are talking to, or just a short distance away from you.

Stand-alone Word

This is a 'pronoun,' which means it acts as a shortcut to replace a noun. Instead of saying 'those books,' you just say 'those ones' (ésos).

Don't add a noun after

Mistake: “ésos libros”

Correction: esos libros (without the accent) OR just 'ésos'.

aquellas

ah-KEH-yahs/aˈkeʎas/

pronounA2general
Use 'aquellas' to replace feminine plural nouns when the items are far away from both the speaker and the listener.
A storybook illustration of a vast, sunny green meadow. Five large, red flowers are clustered far away near the horizon line, emphasizing their distance from the viewer.

Examples

¿Cuáles galletas quieres? Aquellas que están en el estante de arriba.

Which cookies do you want? Those ones that are on the top shelf.

Aquellas montañas tienen nieve en la cima.

Those mountains (way over there) have snow on the peak.

Me encantan aquellas casas antiguas del centro.

I love those old houses (far away) downtown.

Mis amigas y aquellas (las que conocimos en el viaje) son muy diferentes.

My friends and those ones (the ones we met on the trip) are very different.

Identifying Distance

Use 'aquellas' to point out feminine things that are far away from both you and the person you are talking to (like saying 'way over there').

Matching the Noun

'Aquellas' must match the noun it describes in number and gender (plural and feminine, e.g., 'mesas', 'sillas', 'personas').

Standing Alone

When 'aquellas' acts as a pronoun, it doesn't need a noun right after it; it replaces the noun entirely.

Referring Back

This form is used to refer back to a group of feminine things or people that have already been mentioned and are perceived as distant or separate.

Confusing Distance

Mistake: “Using 'estas' (these) or 'esas' (those nearby) when the object is very far.”

Correction: If the item is distant, use the 'aquel' series: 'Aquellas' flores (those flowers way over there).

Confusing 'esas'/'ésos' with 'aquellas'

The most common mistake is not distinguishing between proximity and distance. 'Esas' and 'ésos' refer to items nearby, while 'aquellas' specifically means 'those ones far away'. Remember the accent on 'ésos' to distinguish it from 'esas'.

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