The Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns

The difference between The Demonstrative Adjectives «этот» / «тот» and Demonstrative Pronouns «это» /«то»

The Demonstrative adjective «этот» and «тот»

The Demonstrative adjectives is used to point out a noun.

этот = this (describes a noun which is closer to the speaker)

Этот учебник новый. – This textbook is new.

тот = that (describe an object (noun) which is markedly removed in space or time from the speaker)

Тот учебник старый. – That textbook is old.

Тот is also used as the second element of an opposition

Этот учебник новый, а тот учебник старый. – This textbook is new and that textbook is old.

The demonstrative adjectives “этот” and “тот” must agree with the noun, which they describe (as an adjectives do), they describe in gender, number and case, i.e. change form according to the noun’s gender, number and case.

The Demonstrative (Indeclinable) Pronouns «это» and «то»

The Demonstrative Pronoun “это” = ‘This is’ and ‘These are’

Это новый учебник. – This is a new textbook.

Это новые учебники. – These are new textbooks.

The Demonstrative Pronoun “то” = ‘That is’ and ‘Those are’

То старый учебник. – That is an old textbook.

То старые учебники. – Those are old textbooks.

This indeclinable это should not be confused with the demonstrative adjectives это (the Nominative neuter form of этот).

Это новая рубашка. – This is a new shirt.

Эта рубашка новая. – This shirt is new.