este, éste(ésta)
What is the difference between those two? I've already looked through previous answers, but I can't seem to figure out the difference. Can someone clarify this for me? Thank you!
1 Answer
Well, it's very simple. If you are using "este, esta.." as an adjective accompanying a noun, then you don't put a graphic accent. If it is on its own, working as a pronoun, then you need a graphic accent.
eg: "esta casa es mía"
"ésta es mía"
Well that used to be the theory anyway. Nowadays those pronouns don't require an accent unless there's ambiguity about its meaning, which is very rarely. I've just dug up an example from the RAE that shows this possible ambiguity, but if you ask me this is pushing the envelope:
"Dijo que ésta mañana vendrá." .. where "esta" can either be a pronoun in place of "this woman", or an adjective that accompanies "mañana", which is what 99% of people would understand. Since there is a chance for confusion, if you mean the first use (pronoun) you have to put an accent. Also, if you wanted to say "this woman" it would probably need a comma too: "Dijo que ésta, mañana vendrá". Again, it sounds very weird, normally you'd say that in other ways.
