How to Say "this one" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “this one” is “esta” — use 'esta' when 'this one' refers to a feminine noun, like 'camisa' (shirt)..
esta
/ess-tah//'esta/
Examples
—¿Qué camisa prefieres? —Prefiero esta.
—Which shirt do you prefer? —I prefer this one.
-¿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.
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.
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.
este
/ES-teh//ˈeste/
Examples
No me gusta ese sombrero, prefiero este.
I don't like that hat, I prefer this one.
¿Cuál es tu coche? Es este.
Which one is your car? It's this one.
De todos los cuadros, este es mi favorito.
Of all the paintings, this one is my favorite.
Replacing the Noun
When everyone knows what masculine thing you're talking about, you can use 'este' by itself to mean 'this one'. It saves you from repeating the word.
Confusing 'este' and 'esto'
Mistake: “When asked '¿Qué es eso?', replying with 'Este es un teléfono'.”
Correction: Use 'esto' (the neutral form) to identify unknown things or general ideas: 'Esto es un teléfono'. Use 'este' only when you're replacing a specific, known masculine noun: '¿Qué teléfono te gusta? Me gusta este.'
Gender Agreement is Key
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