Cuando se usa "esta"

Question

My friend says that it is offensive to say "esta" es mi amiga. She says that "esta" is used for inanimate objects not people. Which is the correct usage for the word?

• "...ésta.." It's a pronoun in this sentence, so it needs the tilde. :) - Achsah Mar 20, 2011
• Actually, the tilde is optional now as its meaning is not ambiguous. - qfreed Mar 21, 2011

Answer 1

Esta es mui amiga would literally mean "this is my friend." In some countries it will not be appropriate to say "this" about a person, pretty much like in English some people discourage the use of a pronoun to refer to someone who is there. I'm sure you heard your mother say "she is the cat's mother" meaning if you know her, use her name. In the light of the above it would be more polite to say if her name is María, "María es mi amiga."

Having said that, I would have happily said "ésta es mi amiga." or "ésta es mi amiga María" but then I would also have said "she's my friend" ! Note the accent on ésta to indicate it is a pronoun not an adjective [esta casa, this house].

Answer 2

Sorry I forgot to comment on the previous answer: THere are three "esta" all written differently.

Mi abuela está sentada. (My grandmother is sitting down/seated.) in this phrase está is a verb! pronounced with stress on the a.

Esta abuela... (This grandmother... The esta is a determinate (I think) adjective but definitely an adjective. pronounced with stress on the e.

ésta es mi amiga (She is my friend) here ésta is a pronoun. also pronounced with stress on the e.

have fun

Answer 3

As far as the accents on the pronouns

The accents do not affect the pronunciation, but are used merely to distinguish adjectives and pronouns. (Such accents are known as orthographic accents.) The neuter pronouns do not have accents because they have no corresponding adjective forms. (Note: Some Spanish grammarians recommend against using accents on the demonstrative pronouns unless they are needed to prevent ambiguity. However, they are used more often than not, and you're probably best off to use them unless you're told in some context not to.)

Personally, I agree with this author and still use the accent marks, but the more current thinking is to not use them unless necessary. It is not grammatically incorrect to omit the accent mark from the demonstrative pronouns.

So, in the title the tilde is needed if we mean the pronoun as it is ambiguous. We do not know whether we are discussing esta (adjective) or ésta (pronoun). In the sentence Esta es mi amiga. the accent mark is not required as the part of speech is no longer ambiguous.

Answer 4

I've never heard that, I'd be curious to know also.

Answer 5

Position is the physical position or posture a person or thing is in.

Mi abuela está sentada. (My grandmother is sitting down/seated.)

This is taken from SD reference section. Is your friend a native Spanish speaker?

Answer 6

In Spain is not offensive.

Answer 7

Then, as I understand your comments, if I say "esta" es mi amiga, with the accent over the "e" (in conversation I would put emphasis on the first syllable) it would be correct. However, it would not be polite to use it as a pronoun if I know the person standing next to me. Additionally, If I were to use "esta" in written form then I would place the accent over the "e" to indicate that it is a pronoun. I hope everyone can follow my reasoning. Thank you for your comments.

Answer 8

My friend's first language is Spanish. I am bilingual from Puerto Rico, however, I grew up in New York and most of my education was in New York. That's why I am not familiar with the suttleties of the language. Thanks again.