What is difference between esto, esta and este?

Question

What is difference between esto, esta and este?

Answer 1

Good question!!

Esto is impersonal and masculine (i know, it's kind of tricky) the fact is that things have a gender as well.

Esta could be a person or a thing and it's feminine, same as este but masculine.

Este means east as well.

Answer 2

Search is your friend

Ejemplo

Otro ejemplo

Yet another example

Particularly good example

Answer 3

este- adjective for something masculine; ex: este libro (this book)

esta- adjective for something feminine; ex: esta manzana (this apple)

esto- adjective for something "neutral" (unknown gender)

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These are not to be confused with ésta, ésto and éste

éste- masculine noun; ex: Quiero éste. (I want this one.); "this one" can refer to a pencil, for example (el lápiz)

ésta- feminine noun; ex: Quiero ésta. (I want this one.); "this one" can refer to a plant, for example (la planta)

ésto- neutral noun (unknown gender); ex: ¿Qué es ésto? (What is this?); the object is unknown.

Answer 4

What is the difference between esto,esta and este?

These are all used as demonstrative pronouns not adjectives

(According to The Real Academia Española the written accent may be omitted where there is no confusion with the (demonstrative) adjective: esta )

ésto (neutral or masc) por ejemplo: ésto es lo más dificl = this one is the most difficult
(the object represented by this** is not specified / known so the neutral form is used)

éste (masc + sing) = this one

éstes (masc + pl) = these ones

por ejemplo: éste es el mio = this (one) is mine

un día de éstos = one of these days

ésta (fem + sing) = ¡ Qué niña ésta ! = Honestly, this child ! / Oh, this child !

este (without accent) = east