Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Esa persona es muy amable.

esta persona = this person (near the speaker)
esa persona = that person (a bit farther away, or not right “here”)
aquella persona = that person over there (far from both speaker and listener, or more distant in time/attitude)

In practice, esa persona can also be used when you are referring to someone already known in the conversation, even if they are not physically visible. The exact choice often depends as much on the speaker’s feeling of distance (physical or emotional) as on strict physical distance.

Why is it esa and not ese or eso?

Persona is a feminine noun, so the demonstrative must agree in gender and number:

esa persona = that person (feminine singular agreement)
ese is masculine (e.g. ese chico)
eso is a neuter form, used when you’re not referring to a specific noun (e.g. Eso es verdad = That is true).

Because persona is feminine, you must use esa.

Can I just say Es muy amable instead of Esa persona es muy amable?

Yes, if it is already clear from context who you are talking about.

Spanish often drops the subject when it is understood, so both are possible:

Esa persona es muy amable. (explicit, maybe introducing or emphasizing that person)
Es muy amable. (more like “He/She/They is/are very kind,” when the person is known from context)

If you want to stress that specific person (as opposed to another), esa persona is clearer.

Why is es used and not está? What is the difference between ser and estar here?

Ser is used for more permanent or defining characteristics, and estar for temporary states or conditions.

Esa persona es muy amable. → being kind is seen as a stable quality of that person.
Esa persona está muy amable hoy. → would sound like “That person is being very kind today,” implying it’s a temporary or unusual attitude.

In everyday Spanish, ser amable is the normal way to describe someone’s character.

Is amable the same as nice, friendly, or kind? How does it differ from simpático, agradable, or majo?

Amable means someone is kind, courteous, polite, obliging. It’s slightly more formal than everyday nice.

Other common words:

simpático/a: friendly, likeable, pleasant as a person.
agradable: pleasant (person, atmosphere, experience).
majo/a (very common in Spain): nice, friendly, likeable (colloquial).

So:

Es muy amable. → kind / considerate, well-mannered.
Es muy simpático / majo. → fun to be with, friendly, nice.

They can overlap, but amable focuses more on kindness and politeness.

Why is persona feminine? Can persona ever be masculine?

In Spanish, persona is grammatically feminine no matter the actual gender of the person.

Esa persona es muy amable. could refer to a man, a woman, or someone non-binary; the word persona stays feminine.

So articles and adjectives that agree with persona will be feminine: la persona, esa persona, una persona amable. The grammatical gender of the noun does not always match the biological gender.

Can I use muy with any adjective? How is muy different from mucho?

Muy means very and is used with adjectives and adverbs:

muy amable (very kind)
muy rápido (very fast)

Mucho means a lot / much / many and is used with nouns or as an adverb:

with nouns: mucho trabajo (a lot of work), mucha gente (a lot of people)
as an adverb: trabaja mucho (he/she works a lot)

So you say muy amable, not mucho amable.

How would I make this sentence plural?

You need to pluralize the demonstrative, the noun, the verb, and the adjective:

Es → son
esa → esas (feminine plural)
persona → personas
amable → amables

So the plural is: Esas personas son muy amables. → Those people are very kind.

Is the word order fixed, or can I say Muy amable es esa persona?

The normal, neutral word order is Esa persona es muy amable.

You can say Muy amable es esa persona, but it sounds more emphatic or literary, not everyday conversation. It would be like saying “Very kind, that person is” in English. It’s possible, but stylistic.

Don’t say Esa persona muy amable es; that order is not natural Spanish.

Does esa persona sound distant or rude in Spanish, like saying “that person” in English?

Not necessarily. Esa persona can be neutral if you’re just indicating a specific person (for example, pointing at someone across the room).

However, depending on tone and context, it can sound cold or distancing, similar to English that person:

Neutral: identifying someone: Esa persona es mi profesora.
Slightly cold / judgmental: No me gusta esa persona.

The potential rudeness comes more from the context and tone than from the words themselves.

How do you pronounce esa persona es muy amable? Where is the stress?

Syllable-by-syllable (stressed syllables in caps):

E-sa → stress on E
per-SO-na → stress on SO
es → single syllable
muy → single syllable
a-MA-ble → stress on MA

So: É-sa per-SÓ-na es muy a-MA-ble.
All vowels are short and clear; the r in persona is a soft tap, and the b in amable is pronounced like a soft b/v sound.

Could I say Esa persona está muy amable in any situation?

It’s grammatically possible but much less common and has a different nuance.

Está muy amable suggests a temporary state, like the person is behaving unusually kind today / right now:

Hoy estás muy amable. ¿Qué te pasa? → “You’re very nice today. What’s up with you?”

With esa persona, it sounds a bit odd in isolation; you’d normally use ser: Esa persona es muy amable. Use estar amable only when you clearly mean a temporary, perhaps surprising kindness.

Can I replace persona with a more specific noun, and what happens to esa?

Yes, and esa must agree with the new noun’s gender and number:

ese chico es muy amable (that boy is very kind) → masculine singular
esa chica es muy amable (that girl is very kind) → feminine singular
esos señores son muy amables (those gentlemen are very kind) → masculine plural
esas señoras son muy amables (those ladies are very kind) → feminine plural

The structure stays the same; only the demonstrative and noun change to match each other.