ýsa

Ésa is the feminine singular form of a Spanish demonstrative used to mean “that” and, when standing alone, “that one.” Historically it appeared with an acute accent to mark that it functions as a pronoun rather than a demonstrative adjective. In modern Spanish, the accent is optional and many writers use esa (without the accent) for both adjective and pronoun uses, though accents may still appear in contexts where ambiguity could arise.

Usage and forms

- As a demonstrative adjective, ésa has the same meaning as esa: qualifying a feminine noun, as in esa casa (that house). In contemporary practice, esa is overwhelmingly preferred.

- As a demonstrative pronoun, ésa means “that one” (feminine) and stands in place of a noun: ¿Quieres ésa? or Quisiera ésa. The analogous masculine form is ése, though accent usage varies by style.

- The distinction between pronoun and adjective is the primary reason for the accent in older or more formal punctuation; today it is often omitted unless a writer wants to ensure the pronoun reading.

Orthography and variation

- The Royal Spanish Academy and modern style guides treat the acute accent on demonstratives as optional, primarily to avoid ambiguity in dense text. In everyday writing, laesa remains common, while ésa and áquél appear more in teaching materials or literary contexts used to emphasize contrast.

- Regional preferences vary; some editors retain accents to aid readers, while others dispense with them entirely in favor of uniform spelling.

See also

- Demonstratives in Spanish

- Spanish orthography and capitalization rules

Ésa thus represents a historical orthographic option that remains understood but is less common in contemporary general writing.