different between this vs these

English

Etymology

From Middle English this, from Old English þis (neuter demonstrative), from North Sea Germanic base *þa- "that", from Proto-Germanic *þat, from Proto-Indo-European *tód, extended form of demonstrative base *to-; + North Sea Germanic definitive suffix -s, from Proto-Indo-European *só (“this, that”).

Cognate with Scots this (“this”), Saterland Frisian dusse (“this”), West Frisian dizze (“this”), German dies, dieses (“this”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: th?s, IPA^(key): /ð?s/, /ð?s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Determiner

this (plural these)

1. The (thing) here (used in indicating something or someone nearby).

2. The known (thing) (used in indicating something or someone just mentioned).

3. The known (thing) (used in indicating something or someone about to be mentioned).

4. (informal) A known (thing) (used in first mentioning a person or thing that the speaker does not think is known to the audience). Compare with "a certain ...".

5. (of a time reference) Designates the current or next instance. Cf. next.

Related terms

• that, these, those

Derived terms

• thisness
• this, that, and the other

Translations

Adverb

this (not comparable)

1. To the degree or extent indicated.

   I need this much water.

   Do we need this many recommendations?

   We've already come this far, we can't turn back now.

Translations

Pronoun

this (plural these)

1. The thing, item, etc. being indicated.

   This isn't the item that I ordered.

   • This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,—often the surfeit of our own behaviour,—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars […] — Shakespeare, King Lear, Act 1. Scene 2.

Related terms

• that, these, those

Translations

Noun

this (plural thises)

1. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is here; one of these.
2. (computing) Referring to the current context in a programming environment in C-like languages.

Interjection

this

1. (Internet slang) Indicates the speaker's strong approval or agreement with the previous material.

Synonyms

• +1
• IAWTP
• QFT

Anagrams

• HITs, Hist, Tish, hist, hist-, hist., hits, iths, shit, sith, tish

Middle English

Etymology 1

Determiner

this

1. Alternative spelling of þis (“this”)

Pronoun

this

1. Alternative spelling of þis (“this”)

Adverb

this

1. Alternative spelling of þis (“this”)

Etymology 2

Determiner

this

1. Alternative spelling of þis (“these”)

Pronoun

this

1. Alternative spelling of þis (“these”)

Quechua

Etymology

onomatopoeia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?is/

Interjection

this

1. the sound a cat makes when preparing to attack something
2. the sound of damp wood burning

References

• “this” in Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (2006) Diccionario quechua-español-quechua, 2nd edition, Cusco: Edmundo Pantigozo, page 207.

Scots

Determiner

this (plural thir)

1. this
2. Doric form of thir (“these”)

Pronoun

this (plural thir)

1. this
2. Doric form of thir (“these”)

English

Etymology

From Middle English þes, from Old English þas, from Proto-West Germanic *þes-, a form of Proto-Germanic *sa (“that”), from Proto-Indo-European *só. Compare with German diese.

Pronunciation

• enPR: th?z, IPA^(key): /ði?z/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ðiz/
• Rhymes: -i?z

Determiner

these

1. plural of this
   • Seinfeld, The Alternate Side

     These pretzels are making me thirsty.

Usage notes

Depending on the context, the word those may be used either in place of or interchangeably with these.

Translations

Pronoun

these

1. plural of this

Translations

Anagrams

• Sheet, seeth, sheet, thees

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French thèse, from Latin th?sis, from Ancient Greek ????? (thésis).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?te?.z?/
• Hyphenation: the?se
• Rhymes: -e?z?

Noun

these f (plural theses or thesen)

1. statement, thesis, proposition

   Synonym: stelling

Latin

Noun

these

1. ablative singular of thesis

Middle English

Determiner

these

1. Alternative spelling of þese

Pronoun

these

1. Alternative spelling of þese

Noun

these

1. Alternative spelling of þese (plural of þe (“thigh”))

Old Dutch

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Determiner

these

1. this, these

Inflection

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: d?se
  • Dutch: deze, dit
  • Limburgish: deze

Further reading

• “these”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old Saxon

Determiner

these m

1. this, these

   an thesum uueroldr?kea uuirkean scoldin: They should work on this world.

Declension

Descendants

• Low German: düsse, disse

Portuguese

Noun

these f (plural theses)

1. Obsolete spelling of tese (used in Portugal until September 1911 and died out in Brazil during the 1920s).