esta

/ess-tah/

A woman holding a red t-shirt in her hands and pointing to it, to illustrate the concept of 'this shirt'.

Here, 'esta' points out a specific thing that is feminine and singular, like 'esta camiseta' (this t-shirt).

esta (Adjective)

fA1

this?used before a feminine noun (e.g., 'this house')

📝 In Action

Esta silla es muy cómoda.

This chair is very comfortable.

Me gusta mucho esta película.

I really like this movie.

Esta semana tengo mucho trabajo.

This week I have a lot of work.

Related Words

Antonyms

esa (that)
aquella (that (over there))

Common Collocations

esta mañana – this morning
esta noche – tonight / this evening
esta vez – this time

💡 Grammar Points

Matching the Noun's Gender

'Esta' is used for feminine things. For masculine things, you must use 'este'. For example: 'esta casa' (this house) but 'este coche' (this car).

Pointing Out What's Close

Use 'esta' to talk about something that is physically close to you, or close in time (like 'esta semana', this week).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing up 'esta' and 'este'

Mistake: "Me gusta este casa."

Correction: Me gusta esta casa. 'Casa' (house) is a feminine word, so it needs the feminine pointer 'esta'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Think 'This' and 'Here'

If you can say 'this thing here' in English, you'll almost always use 'este' or 'esta' in Spanish.

A person's hand pointing to one specific croissant on a bakery tray filled with many croissants, to signify 'this one'.

'Esta' can also mean 'this one,' replacing the need to repeat a feminine noun. 'Quiero esta' means 'I want this one'.

esta (Pronoun)

fA1

this one?replaces a feminine noun

📝 In Action

-¿Qué camisa prefieres? -Prefiero esta.

-Which shirt do you prefer? -I prefer this one.

Hay muchas opciones, pero esta es mi favorita.

There are many options, but this one is my favorite.

Esa casa es bonita, pero esta tiene un jardín más grande.

That house is pretty, but this one has a bigger garden.

Related Words

Antonyms

esa (that one)
aquella (that one (over there))

💡 Grammar Points

Stands All By Itself

When 'esta' means 'this one', it doesn't have a noun right after it. It takes the place of the noun to avoid repetition.

❌ Common Pitfalls

The Old Accent Mark Rule

Mistake: "Me gusta ésta."

Correction: Me gusta esta. You might see old texts with an accent mark on 'ésta' when it means 'this one', but this rule was officially removed. You don't need the accent anymore.

⭐ Usage Tips

Answering 'Which one?'

This is a perfect, natural way to answer a question like '¿Cuál quieres?' (Which one do you want?). You can just point and say 'Esta'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: esta

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'esta'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

este(this (masculine)) - adjective/pronoun

esto(this (neutral concept)) - pronoun

estos(these (masculine)) - adjective/pronoun

estas(these (feminine)) - adjective/pronoun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'esta' and 'está'?

The accent mark changes everything! 'Esta' (no accent, stress on 'es') means 'this' or 'this one'. 'Está' (with an accent, stress on 'tá') is a form of the verb 'estar' and means 'is', 'am', or 'are' (for location or temporary states). For example: 'Esta casa está en Madrid.' (This house is in Madrid.)

How do I know whether to use 'esta', 'este', or 'esto'?

It depends on the noun you're talking about. Use 'esta' for feminine things ('esta mesa' - this table). Use 'este' for masculine things ('este libro' - this book). Use 'esto' when you're talking about a general idea or an unknown object, not a specific noun. For example, if you see something strange, you might ask, '¿Qué es esto?' (What is this?).

Do I need to put an accent on 'esta' when it means 'this one'?

Not anymore! It used to be a rule to write 'ésta' to distinguish it from the adjective 'esta', but the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) removed this rule. You might still see it in older writing, but you don't need to use it.