Esto y eso

¿Es eso un lápiz?
Sí, esto es un lápiz

In this lesson we are going to make a little change to our primitive sentences. Don’t worry when you see phrases change and grow, and then suddenly shrink. Our intention is to learn every variation that is really used on a daily basis. So, your speech will be flexible, and you will be able to express your thoughts in many different ways.

Esto vs. Eso

In fact, Spanish has two words that mean “this”: esto and eso. Both of them are widely used. The difference is quite simple, but it can seem unusual at first glance.

Esto is used when the object is very close to the speaker.

Eso is used when the object is a little bit farther.

The difference is very relative. There is no precise distance that could separate esto from eso.

Imagine these situations:

A

You are holding a pencil in your hand. You say: Esto es un lápiz.

There is a copybook on the table near you. You say: Esto es un cuaderno.

You open a wardrobe and see a skeleton. You say: ¿Qué es esto?

B

You are sitting on a couch watching TV. You say: Eso es una tele.

You are walking along a street and see a strange car across the road. You say: ¿Es eso un coche?

You are talking to a guy who is holding a new smartphone in his hand. You say: ¿Qué es eso? And the guy answers: Esto es un teléfono móvil.

An object can be placed close to the speaker, but farther from the listener. So, the speaker says Esto, and the listener then will say Eso.

Juan: ¿Qué es eso?

Julia: Esto es un reloj

Álex: ¿Es esto una silla?

Fernando: No. Eso es un sillón

Try it yourself:

This is a book (very close)

This is a door (at some distance)

This is a dog (at some distance)

This is a cat (very close)

What is this? (very close)

What is this? (at some distance)

This is not a photo (at some distance)

This is not a bicycle (very close)

Look around and build your own examples with the objects that are very close to you and the ones at some distance.

You might be thinking: Wouldn’t it be more accurate to translate “esto” as “this” and “eso” as “that”? Not quite so. Spanish does have a word for “that” – aquello. We are not going to use it now, but it really exists.

If you want to get into details about the difference between esto y eso, here is the explanation.

Think of the English “this” and “that”, first. We abstractly divide the space around us into two parts. “This” is for closer objects, “that” is for distant objects. It may sound surprising, but in Spanish the space is divided into three parts. Esto is for the closest objects, eso is for objects at a middle distance (not too close, not too far), and aquello is for distant objects.

So, the right word for eso is missing in English. It would be quite correct to translate it both as “this” and “that”.

Eso es un coche – This is a car

Eso es una moto – That is a motorbike

Again, there is no precise distance where you have to stop saying “esto” and start saying “eso”. It’s always up to the speaker. You will be understood anyway.

Helpful expressions

The sentences that we are building are a bit straightforward. Let’s add some useful words and phrases that can let us react in a less boring way.

Claro – Sure

¿Es esto un libro?

Sí, claro

Claro que sí – Yes, sure

Claro que no – Of course not

These two expressions need the que conjunction which means “that”. Claro que sí can be literally translated as “Sure that yes”.

Don’t say: “Claro sí” or “Claro no”

¿Es eso un teléfono?

Claro que sí, esto es un teléfono

¿Es eso un ordenador?

Claro que no, esto no es un ordenador. Esto es un teléfono

Try it yourself:

¿Es eso una habitación? — (sí) …

¿Es esto una cama? — (sí) …

¿Es eso un armario? — (sí) …

¿Es esto una moto? — (no) …

¿Es esto un dormitorio? — (no) …

Creo que – I think that

Creo que sí – I think (that) yes

Creo que no – I think (that) no

These expressions are also very common in Spanish.

¿Qué es eso? – What is this?

Creo que eso es una playa – I think that this is a beach

¿Es eso una bicicleta?

Creo que sí, eso es una bicicleta

¿Es eso una moto?

Creo que no. Creo que eso es una bicicleta

Try it yourself:

¿Eso es una playa? — (sí) …

¿Es esto una camisa? — (no) …

¿Es eso un autobús? — (no) …

¿Esto es un reloj? — (sí) …

¿Es eso una cocina? — (no) …

¡Qué va! – No way! Nonsense! Not at all!

This is a colloquial saying that expresses disagreement or negative surprise. You can use it when you hear something strange.

¿Es eso un perro? – Is that a dog?

¡Qué va! Eso es un gato – No way! That is a cat

¿Es esto un cuadro? – Is this a painting?

No, ¡qué va! Eso es una foto – No, not at all! This is a photo

Try it yourself:

¿Es esto un baño? (cocina) — …

¿Es esto un sillón? (sofá) — …

¿Es eso un autobús? (coche) — …

Me parece que – It seems to me that

Try it yourself:

It seems to me, that yes

It seems to me, that not

It seems yes, this is a towel

It seems to me that this is a cup

Eso es – That’s right (literally, “This is so”)

Así es – That’s right (literally, “So it is”)

¿Es esto un problema?

Eso es

¿Es eso un portátil?

Sí, así es

Try it yourself:

It seems to me that this is not a beach

Is that a computer? — That’s right

I think, that is a bicycle

It seems that this is a motorbike

Nonsense! This is a chair

Is that a cupboard? — Yes, sure. This is a cupboard

Palabras nuevas
New words

Here you have some new words to make your speech more diverse.

una cortina — a curtain

un vaso — a glass

una taza — a cup

una guitarra — a guitar

un estante — a shelf

un periódico — a newspaper

un diccionario — a dictionary

una revista — a magazine

un portátil — a laptop

una bandera — a flag

una pizarra — a blackboard

una hoja de papel — a sheet of paper

un rotulador — a marker pen

un árbol — a tree

una calle — a street