Introduction
Understanding simple demonstratives makes Portuguese feel much more natural. This article explains how to use Esse problema and Essa palavra in Brazilian Portuguese, with clear English explanations, practical examples, vocabulary, common mistakes, and tips for beginners.
- What are esse and essa?
- When to use esse/essa: practical guide
- Grammar basics: agreement and placement
- Useful vocabulary around problema and palavra
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Small drills to practice
- More everyday examples a beginner will meet
- Frequently asked questions
- Practice plan for the next 7 days
- Conclusion
What are esse and essa?
Portuguese has demonstrative adjectives that agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify and indicate proximity relative to speaker and listener. For beginners it’s easiest to start with these three: este/esta (near the speaker), esse/essa (near the listener or general reference), and aquele/aquela (far from both).
Esse is masculine singular; essa is feminine singular. Use them before a noun, like esse problema or essa palavra. The form changes to esses and essas for plural.
When to use esse/essa: practical guide
Use esse/essa when referring to something the listener knows about, something just mentioned, or something nearby the listener. It is often used in conversations to point to an idea, object, or phrase the other person has introduced.
Examples: a teacher asking a student about a sentence, a friend pointing to a word on a page, or discussing a problem someone described earlier.
Example situations and sample sentences
1) Talking about a problem someone mentioned:
Você já resolveu esse problema com o computador?
English: Have you already solved that problem with the computer?
2) Pointing to a word in a text while asking its meaning:
O que significa essa palavra no parágrafo dois?
English: What does that word in paragraph two mean?
3) Asking for clarification about a phrase the listener used:
Você pode repetir essa palavra lentamente?
English: Can you repeat that word slowly?
4) Discussing a problem the other person described earlier:
Se esse problema continuar, ligue para o suporte.
English: If that problem continues, call support.
Grammar basics: agreement and placement
Keep these beginner-friendly rules in mind. Demonstratives must match the noun in gender and number. Place them before the noun. For feminine nouns use essa, for masculine use esse.
Masculine singular: esse livro, esse problema.
Feminine singular: essa casa, essa palavra.
Masculine plural: esses livros, esses problemas.
Feminine plural: essas palavras, essas casas.
Useful vocabulary around problema and palavra
problema — problem; difficult situation or error.
palavra — word; a unit of language.
resolver — to solve; fix or resolve.
significar — to mean; indicate meaning.
repetir — to repeat; say again.
suporte — support; help service.
explicar — to explain; give details.
Short dialogues for practice
Dialogue 1 — in a classroom
Aluno: Não entendi a frase.
Professor: Qual parte?
Aluno: Essa palavra aqui. O que é?
English: Student: I did not understand the sentence.
Teacher: Which part?
Student: That word here. What is it?
Dialogue 2 — tech help
Cliente: O sistema abriu uma mensagem de erro.
Atendente: Você pode descrever esse problema?
Cliente: A tela fica travada e não salva.
English: Client: The system showed an error message.
Agent: Can you describe that problem?
Client: The screen freezes and does not save.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake 1: Using the wrong gender. If the noun is feminine use essa, not esse. For example, do not say esse palavra. Correct: essa palavra.
Mistake 2: Confusing este/esta with esse/essa. Use este/esta for things close to the speaker. If the listener introduced the topic, choose esse/essa. Example: If you are showing a word on your phone to someone next to you, you can say esta palavra if you want to emphasize it is near you; but if you refer to a word they mentioned earlier, use essa palavra.
Mistake 3: Forgetting plural agreement. When the noun is plural, change the demonstrative. Do not say essa problemas. Correct: esses problemas.
Small drills to practice
Replace the blank with esse or essa and the correct noun form:
1) Você conhece _____ música no rádio?
Answer: Você conhece essa música no rádio?
2) Não entendi _____ exercício.
Answer: Não entendi esse exercício.
3) Mostre _____ palavra no dicionário.
Answer: Mostre essa palavra no dicionário.
4) Precisamos resolver _____ problema hoje.
Answer: Precisamos resolver esse problema hoje.
Tips for remembering esse vs esta
Visual tip: imagine three positions along a line — me, you, and there. Este/esta is at me, esse/essa is at you or the recent mention, and aquele/aquela is over there. For a beginner, learn to use esse/essa for conversation follow-ups and when the listener knows what you mean.
Pronunciation tip: esse sounds like EH-see, essa like EH-sah. Practice with simple words: esse livro, essa casa, essa palavra.
More everyday examples a beginner will meet
On forms: Preencha este campo e descreva esse problema no campo de observações.
Menu or signs: Selecione a opção que contém essa palavra.
Messages: Não sei o que fazer com esse problema, você pode ajudar?
Study notes: Anote essa palavra e revise amanhã.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I use esse/essa alone without a noun? A: Yes, in conversation you can. For example, if someone points to a page and asks Do you remember that?, you can say Eu gosto desse, or in feminine Eu gosto dessa, but note contractions with de often occur: desse/dessa. For absolute beginners, use the full noun until you feel comfortable dropping it.
Q: Is there a difference in meaning between essa palavra and essa expressão? A: Palavra refers to a single word; expressão refers to a phrase or idiom. Use essa palavra when you mean one lexical item, and essa expressão when you mean a set of words with a specific meaning.
Practice plan for the next 7 days
Day 1: Write 10 sentences using esse problema or essa palavra with different verbs (entender, resolver, repetir, explicar).
Day 2: Record yourself reading a short dialogue that includes both phrases. Compare pronunciation to a native speaker app.
Day 3: Find a simple article or children’s book and highlight instances where the writer uses demonstratives. Note whether they are este, esse, or aquele.
Day 4: Practice substitution drills replacing nouns with plural forms and adjusting demonstratives to esses and essas.
Day 5: Ask a language partner or tutor to point to objects and ask questions using essa palavra or esse problema.
Day 6: Write a short message to a friend describing a common issue using esse problema.
Day 7: Review mistakes and repeat the most challenging exercises.
Conclusion
Mastering esse problema and essa palavra gives beginners a practical tool to refer to familiar items, follow conversations, and ask clear questions in Brazilian Portuguese. With simple grammar rules, targeted practice, and real-life examples, you will quickly feel more confident using these demonstratives in everyday situations.
