"Esa esponja amarilla es para la cocina de mi amigo."

Translation: That yellow sponge is for my friend's kitchen.

[NoctilucaFirefly]

Ok. Does anyone have a good trick for remembering the difference between 'this' (esta, esto, este) and 'that' (esa, eso, este). I get them mixed up ALL the time!

[MrHazard]

OK, here's my corny trick: I sit at my computer with my Tea close to me. EsTe, esTa, the "T" is close. All other tea is over there somewhere, out of sight (no "T" in sight). I actually remember it automatically now, but there was a time when I had to get a big slug of tea before writing "este" etc. :)

[Beki15]

This is the first clue I've heard that helps me when I'm translating from English to Spanish. Thank you!

[mitaine56]

I have one trick who is fine with me : the longest word is the nearest one : esta, este, esto. (near you). the shortest one is the further : esa, ese, eso, (far from you).

[Silent-Hill]

Yes I need this trick also!

[FLchick]

this and these have T's. "that" and "those" don't. I saw this mnemonic on Duo; it's helped me mucho.

[ZakFayle]

T is near me.

[Shadd518]

I just remember the very important t. Esa = that, esta = this. Use whatever you want to associate the "t" with the closer of the two. That's what I remember, and I haven't forgotten it

[Phil46]

not yet! But friends is not necessarily plural in English it is sometimes possesive missed the apostrophe?

[MrHazard]

Friend=singular. Friend's [hat/shoes/car, etc.]=possessive singular.

Friends=plural. Friends' [hat/shoes, etc.]=possessive plural.

[-Alvina-]

This works for me, but you'll have to see if it helps or not:
THIS ends in S, THAT ends in T.
The Spanish pronouns are opposite:
este/esta/esto have a T but mean THIS
ese/esa/eso have no T but mean THAT.

[AndreTaraz]

This = esta, esto, este
These = estas, estos
That = esa, eso
Those= esas, esos

[Diego714246]

It's extremely easy. The translation would be "this - esto, esta, este", "that - eso, esa, ese". When it has a "T" (esto, esta, este) it means that the object is close to you, how close? imagine that if you can reach it with your hand is close, if you can't, than it's not close

[AmandaBeaty75]

I got them confused for years until one day I heard a Spanish audio ask, "Que es eso?" What is that? I had probably heard it a hundred times, but for some reason, that time it stuck. Now I just have to work on which ending of ese and este to use.

[Gez70]

That yellow sponge is for the kitchen of my friend- was not accepted

[WillemGeer1]

+1

[togihill]

Wow. Had to listen to that one 5 times at regular speed typing as much as I could. Then once at slow.

[annie44]

Me too. Rather long to take in at one hearing.

[rmcgwn]

I thought I could spell but now find my spanish spelling is terrible especially when typing fast. Oh well here I go again.

[geneven]

I somehow thought "amarilla" was "a Maria". Then I couldn't figure out the relationship between Maria and the sponge.

[Mike209223]

A veces la tortuga no dice lo mismo que dice el borracho. Por favor, ¿podríamos tener sólo oradores femeninos? Hablan más lento y mås claro.

[Phil46]

Lack of English accurate translation here friend's possessive was misunderstood as friends plural.

[DHSpeck]

Duo is nit picking again - 'my friend's kitchen' and the 'kitchen of my friend' is exactly the same (at least in the UK) yet it is marked WRONG

[Danielconcasco]

They aren't nit picking. It's just not in the database yet. You can report it.

[Sarah801648]

Yes agree. I got marked wrong for the kitchen of my friend tho grammatically it is perfect English Very annoying as it stopped me testing out of level 2!

[Terry131110]

Yet again they fail to realise that in English there is NO difference between my friend's and of my friend.

[nrDHqU]

So many people seem to have trouble with the e/a/o of ese or este. Duolingo should add this to one of its grammar bites before the lessons to really clarify it.

[Annie_4_paradise]

is it always that the colour comes before the noun?