este
/ˈeste/
In Spanish, the English phrase 'ce' is expressed as este.
este is a demonstrative adjective used to identify a specific person or thing that is close to the speaker.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeste/
Did you know?
- In spoken Spanish, it is common to use este as a filler word, similar to how English speakers use 'um' or 'this thing', to pause while searching for a noun.
- The word este also means 'east' in Spanish. This means the same word is used both to point at something nearby and to describe the direction of the sunrise.
- In some Latin American dialects, speakers use este as a 'placeholder' noun. They might say pásame este without naming the object, effectively using it as 'this thing'.
Examples in context
- El cine está cerca de mi casa.The cinema is close to my house.
- Este hombre es mi profesor.This man is my teacher.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are looking at a photo.
- MateoMira este perro.Look at this dog.
- ElenaEs muy lindo.It is very cute.
- MateoEs el perro de mi hermano.It is my brother's dog.
- ElenaTiene una cara graciosa.It has a funny face.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry este, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries este, CC BY-SA 4.0.
