ese
/ˈese/
In Spanish, ese is the word for that.
ese is used to identify a specific person or thing that has already been mentioned.
Which one should you use?
While ese refers to something moderately distant, aquel is used for something much further away in space or time.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes to esa when the noun it modifies is feminine, to esas when modifying a feminine plural noun and to esos when modifying a masculine plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈese/
Did you know?
- In certain slang contexts, particularly in Mexico, calling someone ese can be a very informal way of saying 'dude' or 'man'.
- When used as a noun, ese refers to the letter 'S' in the Spanish alphabet.
- The Spanish word ese is a direct descendant of the Latin word ipse, which meant 'the very same one' or 'himself'.
Examples in context
- Una mujer no apareció mágicamente en el transbordador espacial. Requirió la dedicación implacable de Sally Ride y el coraje sin fin de Mae Jemison para hacer añicos ese techo de cristal.A woman did not magically appear on a space shuttle. It took Sally Ride’s relentless commitment, Mae Jemison’s boundless courage to shatter that glass ceiling.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ese to refer to a specific concept like a glass ceiling.Tatoeba #5986393 by albrusgher, translation #5215504 by Hybrid
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are looking at a photo of a cake.
- DanielMira este pastel de chocolate.Look at this chocolate cake.
- SofíaSí, ese pastel se ve delicioso.Yes, that cake looks delicious.
- Daniel¿Quieres probar un pedazo?Do you want to try a piece?
- SofíaMe encantaría comer ese pastel.I would love to eat that cake.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ese, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ese, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
