How to Say "the latter" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “the latter” is “éste” — use 'éste' when directly contrasting two specific items, with 'éste' referring to the second of the two items just mentioned..
English → Spanish
PronounA1Informal
Use 'éste' when directly contrasting two specific items, with 'éste' referring to the second of the two items just mentioned.
Examples
No me gusta ese coche, prefiero éste.
I don't like that car, I prefer this one.
PronounA1Informal
Use 'éstas' when referring to the latter of two groups of feminine items, often in contrast to another group ('aquellas' or 'las rojas').
Examples
Me gustan más éstas que las rojas. (Refiriéndose a unas flores.)
I like these ones more than the red ones. (Referring to some flowers.)
Gender and Number Agreement
The most common mistake is not paying attention to the gender and number of the nouns being referred to. 'Éste' is singular masculine, while 'éstas' is plural feminine. Ensure your pronoun matches the nouns it replaces.
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