éste vs este in this Sentence...

Question

I do not see what is the difference between these two questions that warrant one using an accent and the other not.

I am currently using Rosetta stone. Early on they have the phrase excuse me, is this your book? (¿Pardón. Este es su libro?) then later on they have this.. is this your book? (¿ es éste su libro?) both asking the same thing but one used accent and the other not. what is the difference? because es came after this in one and before in the other?

Great question...welcome to the forum! - --Mariana--, Jun 4, 2012

Answer 1

In both cases "Éste" has accent. Why?, because is a "pronombre demostrativo" and it replace a noun or subject.

Look at this:

¿Es éste su libro?...

You can also replace "éste" by a noun "libro", and you can say:

¿Es "este libro" su libro?.

Este libro = Éste

As you will it sounds very redundant (it repeats twice the word "libro"), so this is the reason that we use a "pronombre demostrativo".

Don't confuse with "adjetivo demostrativo". They are written without accent and they are put before a noun:

"Este libro me gusta mucho"

Adjetivo demostratrivo : Este

Noun: libro

So, your correct sentences are:

• Perdón. ¿Éste es su libro?
• ¿Es éste su libro?

This was a very helpful explanation, Jose! Thank you. - robinflight, Jun 4, 2012

Answer 2

"Note: The rule used to be that the demonstrative pronouns always carried a written accent, while the demonstrative adjectives did not. But in 1959 the Real Academia Española, the institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language, ruled in its revised spelling rules Nuevas normas that the written accent is only required to remove certain ambiguities, the type of which almost never appear in written Spanish. Thus, in practice, the written accent is not required. However, it should also be noted that not everyone has jumped on the RAE bandwagon, -- including Madrid's daily newspaper El País as well as the majority of Spanish grammars that you are likely to encounter."

Deomonstratives So after reading over this '¿Es éste tu libro?' = Is this (one) your book. Making 'this' a pronoun there... but you can see why it's technically irrelevant/unnecessary.

Is this (one) your book (this, the one in my hand.. is this yours?) 'which you can't see in writing' Vs. Is this book yours = the exact same thing. Which is why el RAE cropped it out. - sinsonte, Jun 4, 2012

Thanks! - EddieVentura, Jun 4, 2012

Of course, I would go with the R A E suggestions. - --Mariana--, Jun 4, 2012

Answer 3

Thanks. It's the little things that get me.