Well, yes, of course, since they don't mean the same thing. De (pronounced: dom) = they Dem (pronounced: dom) = Them Dessa = these "De här" (pronounced: dom här") is more common than "dessa" though. "De" can also mean "the", but we only use it if there's an adjective before the noun. "de" is for when the noun is plural and "det" or "den" is for singular. The red balls = De röda bollarna The red ball = Den röda bollen The balls = Bollarna Balls = Bollar Ball = Boll Oh, and with "dessa" you don't have to make the noun definite. These balls = Dessa bollar These balls = De här bollarna