FM: Lesson - Demonstrative Pronouns - Overview

Image: Pseudolus and Selene having a conversation.

Demonstrative Pronouns

A demonstrative pronoun is used to point to something specific. English uses the words this and that.

Pseudolus and Selene have a brief conversation. Pseudolus holds a scroll containing his notes on the case so far.

  • Pseudolus would say: This is my book.
  • Selene would say: Is that a new book?

As you can see in the image, Pseudolus is holding a book (Roman books were contained in scrolls) while talking to Selene. There is a distinctive difference between this and that. Consider the perspectives of Pseudolus and Selene in the image in relation to the book.

A demonstrative pronoun is used to point out a specific thing. In English, we use the words this, these, that and those.

This is used to point out something that is nearby. That is used to point something out that is further away. The distance can refer to either space or time. Some texts refer to this as a 1st person demonstrative and that as a 3rd person demonstrative, since distance is measured from the speaker. Remember:

  • This implies closeness, and so is most often used by the person nearest to the object or possessing it.
  • That implies distance, and so is most often used by the person furthest from the object or not possessing it.

Latin Demonstrative Pronouns

Latin has several demonstrative pronouns, but mainly uses the following pronouns to express this and that:

  • hic, haec, hoc - this, these
  • ille, illa, illud - that, those

Other, less frequently used, demonstrative pronouns include:

  • is, ea, id - that, the. This pronoun is most often used in the role of 3rd person personal pronoun (see previous lessons). Is can also be used as an emphatic the.
    • You are the man. 
    • Es is vir!
  • iste, ista, istud - that (of yours). This demonstrative serves as a middle ground between hic and ille, and is often called the 2nd person pronoun. It was also used pejoratively or as a derogative term.
    • Surely you aren’t reading those books (of yours), are you?
    • Num istos libros legis?

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