esto es
/esto es/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase "this is" is translated as esto es.
esto es is used to identify an abstract concept, an unknown object or an entire situation.
Which one should you use?
While esto es refers to abstract or unidentified things, you must use este es (masculine) or esta es (feminine) when identifying a specific person or a specific noun with a known gender.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form esto es uses the neuter pronoun esto.
How do you pronounce it?
/esto es/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use esto es to identify a person. Instead, you should use este es for a man or esta es for a woman.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, esto is a neuter pronoun, which is rare because almost every single noun in the language is either masculine or feminine.
- The verb es in esto es shares the exact same ancestor as the English word 'is', both coming from the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₁ésti'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you use the wrong version of 'this is' for a person, it may sound less like a grammar error and more like you are being intentionally dismissive.
Examples in context
- Esto es de él.This is his.This sentence shows how to express ownership.Tatoeba #6600072 by arh, translation #2233691 by CK
- Esto es un pez.This is a fish.This sentence is useful for identifying an animal.Tatoeba #3048279 by hayastan, translation #2629585 by CM
- Esto es un niño.This is a boy.Tatoeba #2508079 by cueyayotl, translation #4454067 by katherine425
- Esta es mi amiga María.This is my friend María.
- Este es el libro que te mencioné.This is the book I mentioned to you.
- Este es mi hermano, Juan.This is my brother, Juan.
- Esta es una foto que tomé en mis vacaciones.This is a photo I took on my vacation.
- Mira, este es el nuevo teléfono que compré.Look, this is the new phone I bought.
- 622 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are looking at a mysterious object in the garden.
- AlejandroEsto es muy extraño.This is very strange.
- Lucía¿Qué es, Alejandro?What is it, Alejandro?
- AlejandroNo lo sé.I don't know.
- LucíaParece una herramienta antigua.It looks like an old tool.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, esto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
