What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of dónde (where), está (is – location) and eso (that – neuter pronoun).
Which one should you use?
Use eso when referring to an abstract concept or an unidentified object. If you are referring to a specific masculine or feminine noun, use ese or esa instead. If you are asking about a specific person, you should change the verb to ¿dónde está [persona]?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, ¿dónde está eso? is widely used. In some Latin American countries, you may commonly hear ¿dónde queda eso? to mean "where is that?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb está is the third-person singular form of estar, which is the specific form of "to be" used for location.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using ¿dónde es eso? English speakers often mistakenly use es (from the verb ser) instead of está (from the verb estar) when asking for location.
Did you know?
- If a local cannot find the place you are asking about, they might say no tiene pérdida. Literally translated as 'it has no loss', this common idiom means the place is so easy to find that one cannot possibly get lost.
- While you generally use está for location, you must switch to ¿dónde es eso? if you are asking about the location of a scheduled event like a concert or a party.
- The word eso originates from the Latin ipsum, which is the neuter form of ipse, meaning 'himself' or 'the very one'.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are looking at a map in a cafe.
- AlejandroVeo una pequeña isla en el mapa.I see a small island on the map.
- Elena¿Dónde está eso?Where is that?
- AlejandroEstá muy cerca de la costa.It is very close to the coast.
- ElenaParece un lugar muy bonito.It looks like a very beautiful place.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dónde, eso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
