Demostrativos en español con un gatito en el parque

What is the difference between “este”, “ese”, and “aquel” in Spanish?

English has two pointing words, “this” and “that.” Spanish has three. Este is “this,” close to me. Ese is “that,” near the person I am talking to. Aquel is “that one over there,” far from both of us. The clip says it plainly: depende de la distancia (“it depends on the distance”). So the same kitten can be este gatito, ese gatito, or aquel gatito, just by how far away it is.

They change for gender and number: este/esta/estos/estas, ese/esa, aquel/aquella. In the clip the speaker likes aquel gatito (far away) but then este gatito (right here). A handy memory trick: este has a t like “this,” and aquel feels far, like “way over there.”