aqueles

[a-KE-les]
demonstrative pronoun / demonstrative adjectivemasculinepl: aqueles (already plural)
those (masculine plural)
1. Refers to masculine plural nouns that are distant from both the speaker and listener in space or time
Those books over there on the shelf are mine.
Aqueles livros ali na prateleira são meus.
2. Used as a pronoun to replace a previously mentioned masculine plural noun
I saw many cars, and I liked those red ones the best.
Vi muitos carros, e gostei mais daqueles vermelhos.
3. Can indicate something that happened in the distant past
Those were the days when we were younger.
Aqueles eram os dias quando éramos mais jovens.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'aqueles' is a fundamental demonstrative pronoun used to maintain clear distinctions of spatial distance in conversation. Brazilians frequently use this word to point out objects or people that are visibly far away or to reference things from the distant past, creating a three-distance system (este/esse/aquele) that is essential to Portuguese grammar and everyday communication.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
esses (closer distance)taissemelhantes
Antonyms / Antônimos
estes (near speaker)esse (medium distance)

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
aqueles
Standard usage for distant masculine plural demonstratives
Rio de Janeiro
aqueles
Used consistently with standard pronunciation
São Paulo
aqueles
Standard usage, sometimes contracted with prepositions (daqueles, àqueles)
Portugal
aqueles
Same usage as Brazilian Portuguese, part of standard European Portuguese

Related Words

aquele (singular masculine)aquela (singular feminine)aquilo (neuter singular)aquelas (plural feminine)

Related Idioms & Phrases

aqueles e quaisquer outros (those and any others)
de aqueles tempos (from those times / from way back)
naqueles dias (in those days)
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