esa
/ˈesa/
In Spanish, esa means.
esa is used to mean.
Which one should you use?
Use esa for a feminine noun that is near the listener, whereas esta is used for a feminine noun that is near the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
esa is the feminine singular form of ese. You change esa to the masculine form ese when referring to a masculine noun. The plural form of esa is esas, while the masculine plural form is esos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈesa/
Did you know?
- Spanish has a three-way system of distance for 'that', whereas English only has two. esa refers to something near the listener, but aquella is used for things far from both people.
- When used as a pronoun to refer to a person, esa can sound dismissive or derogatory depending on the tone and context, similar to saying 'that woman' instead of using her name.
- The word esa descends from the Latin ipsa, meaning 'itself' or 'the very one'.
Examples in context
- Me encanta esa playa en el Caribe, tiene aguas cristalinas y arena blanca.I love that beach in the Caribbean, it has crystal clear waters and white sand
- Esa es mi hermana.That is my sister.
- ¿Te gusta esa idea?Do you like that idea?
- Esa silla es muy cómoda.That chair is very comfortable.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are looking at a piece of art in a gallery.
- Mateo¿Viste esa pintura?Did you see that painting?
- MaríaSí, esa pintura es hermosa.Yes, that painting is beautiful.
- MateoMe encanta el color.I love the color.
- MaríaEs muy impresionante.It is very impressive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry esa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
