Éstos

Éstos is the masculine plural form of the demonstrative pronoun in Spanish, historically used to mean “these ones.” It functions as a pronoun or, in older practice, as a stressed variant to distinguish a pronoun from the accompanying noun. The corresponding demonstrative adjective is “estos” (these), which modifies a noun, as in “estos libros.”

In contemporary orthography, the tilde diacrítica on demonstratives has been largely de-emphasized. Since the orthographic reform movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, the standard practice is to write como “estos” for both adjective and pronoun in most contexts. The accent form “éstos” survives mainly as a historical or literary variant and appears in some dictionaries to indicate traditional or emphatic usage. Some writers still use “éstos” for emphasis or stylistic effect, but it is not common in everyday writing.

Usage notes:

- When used as a pronoun, “éstos” refers to previously mentioned or understood items: “Éstos son mis amigos.” In modern writing, the unaccented “estos” can often be used with the same sense, relying on context.

- The feminine plural counterpart is “éstas” (and modern practice tends toward “estas” without accent). The neuter form is “esto.”

In sum,éstos is a historically attested pronoun form meaning “these ones,” now largely superseded by the unaccented “estos” in standard Spanish, with accent use largely reserved for historical, poetic, or carefully styled text.