ése

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ese"

Spanish

Alternative forms

• ese (The unaccented form can function as a pronoun if it can be unambiguously deduced as such from context.)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin ipse.

The slang sense to refer to a person is, allegedly from urban legend, from South Mexico and became popular slang in pachuco culture [1940s].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈese/ [ˈe.se]
• Rhymes: -ese
• Syllabification: é‧se

Pronoun

ése m (demonstrative, feminine ésa, neuter eso, masculine plural ésos, feminine plural ésas)

1. that one (near you)
2. the former
3. (Mexico, Chicano, slang, vocative) dude, guy, pal, man, buddy

Usage notes

The slang sense can be used in any connotation, from affectionate to neutral or pejorative.

See also

• aquél
• aquel
• éste
• este

Further reading

• “ése”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10