¿Qué es eso?
What's that?
A strange machine stands across the workshop, and since nobody can name it, eso does the job.
From El Rey Escorpión · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "that" in Spanish
eso
pronounneuterbefore a noun: ese, esa
"That" in Spanish is eso when you point at something without naming it: ¿Qué es eso? Before a noun, use ese or esa: ese libro, esa casa. In sentences like "I know that it's late", the word is que.
Hear "eso" in real movie scenes
Two things nobody names. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Dame eso.
Give me that.
You don't need the name of the thing the other person has. Point at it and say eso.
From Lords of Dogtown · Spanish audio
Eso, ese, esa, aquel: which "that"?
English has one word. Spanish picks by gender, distance and job in the sentence.
| Spanish | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| eso | A thing or an idea you don't name | ¿Qué es eso? (What's that?) |
| ese | Before a masculine noun | ese libro (that book) |
| esa | Before a feminine noun | esa casa (that house) |
| esos, esas | Plural: those | esos zapatos (those shoes) |
| aquel, aquella, aquello | Something far from both of you | aquella montaña (that mountain over there) |
| que | Joining two parts of a sentence | Sé que es tarde. (I know that it's late.) |
Tip: Near you is esto, near the other person is eso, and far from both of you is aquello.
Grammar: eso, ese, esa
Four points to pick the right "that".
Eso has no gender
It stands for a thing or an idea you don't name. It never changes and never goes before a noun.Ese and esa agree
ese coche, esa silla, esos coches, esas sillas. They match the noun.Eso for ideas
Eso es. That's it. Por eso. That's why. Eso no. Not that.Que joins sentences
Creo que es aquí. I think it's here. English can drop "that", but Spanish keeps que.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
¿Qué es eso?
What's that?
¡Oye! Mira eso.
Hey! Look at that.
Dame eso.
Give me that.
Ah, eso.
Oh, that.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗eso libro
✓ese libro
Before a noun, use ese or esa.
✗Creo es aquí.
✓Creo que es aquí.
English can leave out that, but Spanish needs que.
✗¿Qué es esto? (about something next to the other person)
✓¿Qué es eso?
Esto is near you. Eso is near the person you're talking to, or a bit farther away.
Real conversation: at the exhibition
A short dialog with a museum guide. Tap to listen.
At an exhibition, Mateo, a young guide, points at things near and far and tells you what they are.
¡Oye! Mira eso.
Hey! Look at that.
¿Qué es eso?
What's that?
Es la lista. ¡Y tu nombre!
It's the list. And there's your name!
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
This has a t, and so does esto. Take the t away and you get eso: that.
Questions about "that" in Spanish
How do you say that in Spanish?
Eso for a thing you don't name, ese or esa before a noun, and que when "that" joins two parts of a sentence.
What's the difference between eso and ese?
Ese goes with a masculine noun: ese coche. Eso stands alone for a thing or an idea: ¿Qué es eso?
What's the difference between esto and eso?
Esto is this, something near you. Eso is that, something near the other person or a bit farther away.
How do you say "that's it" in Spanish?
Eso es. For "that's why", say por eso.
