"Este" or "Esto" revisited

Question

I asked this question before and received very helpful answers, but I'm working on a Rosetta Stone lesson now (Level 3 Unit 4 Lesson 2), and I'm seeing the phrases "Esto es una pintura de un hombre...." and "Esto es una foto de una guitarra", and "Esto es una pintura de un piano". I would have thought, from my previous understanding, that these sentences would begin with "Esta". since una pintura is feminine. What am I missing?.

Thanks

Answer 1

Katydew is right in as much as "esto" in this case is non-descript, however; it is not even "vaguely talking about what the 'pintura' is about." "Esto" is the same as saying "this thing" but since there is nothing to support it such as "esta cosa," it reverts to the masculine form of "esto" and it becomes a subject rather than an adjective.

When talking about one of various paintings, then we say "esta [pintura] ......."

When talking about one of various cars, then we say "este [coche] .........."

There a few exceptions to the usual way we use this word, ie:

1. pron. dem. U. en femenino, designa la población en que está la persona que se dirige a otra por escrito. Permaneceré en esta dos semanas.

2. pron. dem. U. como sustantivo en diversas frases donde tiene un significado impreciso de ocasión, vez, situación, jugada, o equivale a un sustantivo inexpreso. De esta nos quedamos sin médico. A todas estas.

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Nunca sobre algo del contexto cultural. - diagonx, Oct 30, 2012

Thank you for your help. I'm still unsure, because the answer below from Francobello suggests that the examples I gave should have used "esta". Is this too fine a point of grammer? - PeterRS, Oct 30, 2012

Perhaps this will help: You don´t know what something is so you touch it and ask "¿Qué es esto?" Someone answers "Esto es ......" Your examples are correct because it is being said that "this (thing) is a piano," The next thing is ..... etc. - 005faa61, Oct 30, 2012

They are not being discussed as like things - 005faa61, Oct 30, 2012

Answer 2

I would say the 'esto' is non-descript because it's vaguely talking about what the 'pintura' is about... what it's depicting, and the idea of art would be abstract, not necessarily speaking of the concrete form of the pintura itself.

Answer 3

Yes, you are right. Esto is neutral, but I would not use it if I was referring to a noun whose gender I knew beforehand. So your examples should be written as:

Ésta es una pintura de un hombre.

Ésta es una foto de una guitarra.

Ésta es la imagen de un piano.

Examples of when to use Esto.

Esto no me interesa (You don't know what it is, so it's OK to use the neutral demonstrative pronoun)

No me traigas esto, ya no lo necesito (same as above)

¡Esto ya es el colmo, son las 9:30 y aún no ha llegado a la oficina! (same as above)

I hope this (esto...lol) helps!

Thank you for your help. I'm still unsure, because the answer above from JulianChivi suggest the examples were correct. Is this too fine a point of grammer? - PeterRS, Oct 30, 2012

I will let you decide for yourself. I do not engage in futile discussions with other SD members. It takes all the fun away and we're all here to learn. - francobollo, Oct 31, 2012