Learning Spanish is a lot of fun, but it can be tricky sometimes. One thing that often confuses people is how to translate the word that.
In English, we use that in all sorts of ways, but in Spanish, that can be translated in several different ways depending on the context.
The most common translations are que and ese/esa, but there are more options too.
In this post, we’ll only focus on que and ese/esa. Understanding when to use each one can really help you communicate better. So, let’s break it down in a simple way!
QUE
Que helps us connect ideas or give more information about something.
Think of que as a word that means that when we want to describe or explain something, or when we want to connect two different phrases. Example:
El perro que ladra es mío.
The dog that barks is mine.
In this sentence, que helps us know which dog we are talking about—the one that barks.
More examples:
La película que vimos anoche fue emocionante.
The movie that we watched last night was exciting.
Yo pienso que el libro es muy interesante.
The book that the book is very interesting.
ESE/ESA
Ese and esa are used to point to specific things that are not necessarily very close but still within reach. How we use them:
Ese (for masculine items): we use it for things like “carro” (car). Example:
Ese carro es rápido.
That car is fast.
You can think of this as saying “this car,” but slightly further away.
Esa (for feminine items): we use it for things like “silla” (chair). Example:
Esa silla es cómoda.
That chair is comfortable.
Similarly, you can think of this as referring to a chair that is not right next to you, but close enough.
More examples:
Esa casa es bonita.
That house is pretty.
Ese libro es interesante.
That book is interesting.
TIPS!
1. When you say ese/esa, think of pointing at something that is not too far away, but not directly next to you.
2. When you say que, think of connecting ideas or giving more information.
LET’S SEE THE DIFFERENCE!
Here are some sentences that show the difference between que and ese/esa:
1. Que: El perro que ladra es mío.
The dog that barks is mine.
Ese: Ese perro es mío.
That dog is mine.
2. Que: Juan piensa que la casa que compramos es grande.
Juan thinks that the house that we bought is big.
Esa: Esa casa es grande.
That house is big.
3. Que: El coche que veo es azul.
The car that I see is blue.
Ese: Ese coche es azul.
That car is blue.
Just remember, saying “ese coche” (that car) is kind of like saying “this car” in a sentence like: “this/that car is beautiful.” But you’d never say “the car this I see” when you actually mean “the car that I see” (el coche que yo veo).
4. Que: La chica que canta es talentosa.
The girl that sings is talented.
Esa: Esa chica es talentosa.
That girl is talented.
5. Que: El libro que leí es interesante.
The book that I read is interesting.
Ese: Ese libro es interesante.
That book is interesting.
6. Que: El árbol que está allí es alto.
The tree that is there is tall.
Ese: Ese árbol es alto.
That tree is tall.
And now, let’s play these games so you become an expert:
GAME 1
GAME 2
Just a reminder! If you’re interested, I can send you a special document with traditional exercises on this topic, such as fill-in-the-blank and true or false activities. Just let me know!
