GrammarNavigator

Topics

Advanced

Deixis

How languages point to people, places and times relative to the speaker in Spanish, English and Chinese.

Compare languages

Deixis is pointing with language. Every language encodes spatial, temporal and personal reference relative to the speaker. Spanish has a three-way spatial system (aquí/ahí/allí). English has two-way (here/there). Chinese also has two-way with 这zhè/那nà.

Examples

This (near speaker)

este

That (near listener)

ese

That (far from both)

aquel

Here (near speaker)

aquí

There (near listener)

ahí

There (far from both)

allí / allá

Now

ahora

Then (past/future)

entonces / en aquel entonces

Examples

This (near speaker)

this

That (near listener)

that

That (far from both)

that (yon — archaic)

Here (near speaker)

here

There (near listener)

there

There (far from both)

there / yonder (archaic)

Now

now

Then (past/future)

then

Examples

This (near speaker)

这zhè

That (near listener)

那nà (no distinction)

That (far from both)

那nà (no distinction)

Here (near speaker)

这zhè儿ér / 这zhè里lǐ

There (near listener)

那nà儿ér / 那nà里lǐ

There (far from both)

那nà儿ér (no distinction)

Now

现xiàn在zài

Then (past/future)

那nà时shí / 当dāng时shí

Comparison at a glance

Grammar concepts Spanish English Chinese
This (near speaker) estethis这zhè
That (near listener) esethat那nà (no distinction)
That (far from both) aquelthat (yon — archaic)那nà (no distinction)
Here (near speaker) aquíhere这zhè儿ér / 这zhè里lǐ
There (near listener) ahíthere那nà儿ér / 那nà里lǐ
There (far from both) allí / alláthere / yonder (archaic)那nà儿ér (no distinction)
Now ahoranow现xiàn在zài
Then (past/future) entonces / en aquel entoncesthen那nà时shí / 当dāng时shí

Side-by-side comparison

Grammar concepts Spanish English Chinese
This (near speaker) estethis这zhè
That (near listener) esethat那nà (no distinction)
That (far from both) aquelthat (yon — archaic)那nà (no distinction)
Here (near speaker) aquíhere这zhè儿ér / 这zhè里lǐ
There (near listener) ahíthere那nà儿ér / 那nà里lǐ
There (far from both) allí / alláthere / yonder (archaic)那nà儿ér (no distinction)
Now ahoranow现xiàn在zài
Then (past/future) entonces / en aquel entoncesthen那nà时shí / 当dāng时shí

Examples in context

This (near speaker)

Spanish

este

English

this

Chinese

这zhè

That (near listener)

Spanish

ese

English

that

Chinese

那nà (no distinction)

That (far from both)

Spanish

aquel

English

that (yon — archaic)

Chinese

那nà (no distinction)

Here (near speaker)

Spanish

aquí

English

here

Chinese

这zhè儿ér / 这zhè里lǐ

There (near listener)

Spanish

ahí

English

there

Chinese

那nà儿ér / 那nà里lǐ

There (far from both)

Spanish

allí / allá

English

there / yonder (archaic)

Chinese

那nà儿ér (no distinction)

Now

Spanish

ahora

English

now

Chinese

现xiàn在zài

Then (past/future)

Spanish

entonces / en aquel entonces

English

then

Chinese

那nà时shí / 当dāng时shí

Key Takeaways

Spanish: Has a three-way spatial distinction (near me, near you, far from both) in both demonstratives and locative adverbs. Temporal deixis includes.

English: Two-way spatial system (this/that, here/there). Temporal deixis uses now, then, today, yesterday, tomorrow. Some archaic forms (yon, yonder).

Chinese: Two-way system (这zhè/那nà). Locative adverbs use the same demonstrative + 里lǐ/儿ér/边biān. Temporal deixis is simple and context-dependent.

Key concepts compared: This (near speaker), That (near listener), That (far from both).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Spanish need three spatial deictic adverbs while English and Chinese get by with two?
Spanish distinguishes *aquí* (near the speaker), *ahí* (near the listener), and *allí/allá* (far from both). English and Chinese collapse the speaker/listener distinction into a single 'there' or <ruby>那<rt>nà</rt></ruby>. This means a Spanish speaker can pinpoint location relative to the conversation partners with precision that English and Chinese cannot match without adding extra words: 'there near you' or <ruby>那<rt>nà</rt></ruby><ruby>边<rt>biān</rt></ruby> (that side).
How does temporal deixis work differently in Chinese compared to Spanish and English?
Chinese temporal deixis is minimal and highly context-dependent. <ruby>昨<rt>zuó</rt></ruby><ruby>天<rt>tiān</rt></ruby> = yesterday, <ruby>今<rt>jīn</rt></ruby><ruby>天<rt>tiān</rt></ruby> = today, <ruby>明<rt>míng</rt></ruby><ruby>天<rt>tiān</rt></ruby> = tomorrow. There are no tense markers on verbs, so time reference depends entirely on these lexical items and context. Spanish and English verb conjugations provide additional temporal anchoring: *hablé* / 'I spoke' tells you it is past even without 'yesterday.' A Chinese speaker learning Spanish must learn to double-mark time — once with the adverb, once with the verb.
What happens when a Spanish speaker tries to translate 'ahí' into English?
Spanish *ahí* means 'there, near you' — a specific distance relative to the listener. English 'there' is vague: it can mean near the listener, far from both, or simply 'not here.' A Spanish speaker will often feel frustrated that English lacks this precision and may over-explain: 'there, where you are.' Chinese <ruby>那<rt>nà</rt></ruby><ruby>边<rt>biān</rt></ruby> is similarly vague, so Chinese speakers face the same issue when translating into English.

References

  • Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
  • The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
  • A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981

Last updated: June 4, 2026