demonstratives adjs or pronouns usage

Question

help! ¿Debo donar esta camisa? Why can't it be está camisa? Or aquello, aquel?

Please give some examples. It will make it easier to address your question. You can just edit your question here instead of reposting it. - Jubilado, Mar 28, 2013

Answer 1

The demonstrative esta means this and is in the feminine gender because camisa is feminine (la camisa). The word está means is and you can't say "I need to donate is shirt, but you can say I need to donate this shirt.

Demonstrative adjectives have to agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun that they are modifying. This exists in English when they agree in number: "this student", "these students", "that class" "those classes". Spanish unlike English adds agreement in gender so you have 4 different forms for 3 different demonstative adjectives:

este, esta, estos, estas for this and these

ese, esa, esos, esas for that and those (near the person being spoken to) and

aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas for that and those (distant from both the speaker and the person spoken to).

There are some other demonstative forms when used as pronouns, but learn the distinctions of the adjectives first.

thank you! - crossover, Mar 28, 2013

You're welcome, Glad to help. - Jubilado, Mar 28, 2013

¡Excelente! - --Mariana--, Mar 28, 2013