neuter demonstratives pronouns

Neuter Demonstrative Pronouns in Portuguese

In Brazilian Portuguese, neuter demonstrative pronouns are used to refer to abstract concepts, facts, recent statements, or unidentified concrete objects. Because they are neuter, they never change for gender or number.

The Pronouns: Isto, Isso, Aquilo

• Isto translates to "this" (referring to something very close to the speaker). However, in everyday spoken Brazilian Portuguese, it is rarely used. It is primarily reserved for written contexts or used for spoken emphasis.
• Isso is the most common pronoun. While it traditionally translates to "that," in spoken language, it is typically used for both "this" and "that."
• Aquilo translates to "that" (referring to something far away from both the speaker and the listener).

Usage and Examples

These pronouns are extremely useful for asking about unknown things or referring back to something that was just said.

• O que é aquilo no céu? (What is that in the sky?)
• Por que você disse isso? (Why did you say that?)
• É isso que precisamos fazer. (That is what we need to do.)

Combining with Prepositions

Like many words in Portuguese, neuter demonstratives frequently merge with prepositions such as em (in/on/at), de (of/from), and a (to/at).

• With "em": em + isto = nisto, em + isso = nisso, em + aquilo = naquilo.
• With "de": de + isto = disto, de + isso = disso, de + aquilo = daquilo.
• With "a": a + aquilo = àquilo.

Using with "Tudo" (Everything / All)

You can pair these pronouns with the word tudo to express "all this" or "all that." The placement of the word changes the nuance:

• Tudo + pronoun: The standard way to say "all this" or "all that."
  Tudo isso aconteceu muito tempo atrás. (All that happened a long time ago.)
• Pronoun + tudo: Placing tudo after the pronoun provides stronger colloquial emphasis.
  Você vai comer isso tudo? (Are you going to eat all of that?)