Spanish word

eso

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈeso/

Meaning

  • pronounthat

Example

¿Qué es eso?

What is that?

Illustration for eso (that)

More examples

No tenía batería, por eso no contesté.

My battery was dead, that's why I didn't answer.

Core concept

An abstract point or prior remark referred to without gender or number.

Common phrases

  • por eso

    that's why

  • eso es

    That's it

  • eso mismo

    exactly that

Similar words

esto: Neutral pronoun indicating something close to the speaker or about to be presented.
ese: Demonstrative pronoun for a concrete object away from the speaker but near the listener.
aquello: Neutral pronoun pointing to something distant from both speaker and listener.
ello: Neutral pronoun referring to an abstract matter, idea, or concept.

Definition in Spanish

Señala algo mencionado antes, una idea general o una cosa no concreta en el discurso.

Word origin

Eso is the neuter demonstrative that traces back through medieval Romance development to Latin neuter demonstratives as the counterpart of ese.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English that, which can serve as a relative pronoun or conjunction, Spanish eso cannot function as a relative and is used only to point to a whole idea, clause, or unspecified referent.

Opposites

  • estothispronoun
  • aquellothat one over therepronoun

Word lists with this word