oh, eso
/ˈo ˈeso/word by word
In Spanish, "oh, it" is expressed as oh, eso.
oh, eso is an exclamation used to express a sudden realization or a reaction to a specific thing or situation.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the pronoun 'it', Spanish uses the demonstrative pronoun eso (that) to refer to an abstract situation or an unspecified thing in this context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word eso is neuter and does not change based on the gender of the object being referred to when the object is an abstract concept or an unknown thing.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈo ˈeso/
Did you know?
- The word eso shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'ipseity', which refers to a person's own selfhood or identity.
- By simply using a rising intonation, a speaker can turn the exclamation eso into a question meaning 'Wait, that thing?' without adding any extra words.
- To signal a sudden moment of 'aha!' or realization, many Spanish speakers prefer using ah instead of oh, as oh can sometimes imply disappointment.
Examples in context
- ¡Vaya! ¡Eso es sorprendente!Oh wow! That is amazing!
- Huy, ¡qué chulo!Oh, cool!
- ¡Oh, eso es verdad!Oh, that is true!
- ¡Oh, eso no me lo esperaba!Oh, I wasn't expecting that!
- ¡Oh, eso suena muy bien!Oh, that sounds very good!
Example conversation
María and Daniel are discussing a missing book.
- MaríaDaniel, dejaste tu libro en la mesa.Daniel, you left your book on the table.
- DanielOh, eso expliqué por qué no lo encontraba.Oh, that explains why I couldn't find it.
- MaríaNo hay problema, aquí lo tienes.No problem, here it is.
- DanielMuchas gracias, María.Thank you very much, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (oh, eso) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
