Ese coche salpica agua cuando pasa por la calle mojada.

the water

Breakdown of Ese coche salpica agua cuando pasa por la calle mojada.

• cuando: when
• ese: that
• la calle: the street

Questions & Answers about Ese coche salpica agua cuando pasa por la calle mojada.

Why does the sentence start with ese coche and not este coche?

Ese means that, while este means this.

So:

• este coche = this car (near the speaker)
• ese coche = that car (a bit farther away, or not right by the speaker)

In modern Spanish, ese is very common for that. A learner may also see aquel coche, which usually refers to something even farther away or more distant in context.

Why is coche used for car? Could I also say carro?

In Spain, coche is the normal everyday word for car.

• coche = standard in Spain
• carro = more common in many Latin American varieties, but in Spain it usually does not mean a normal car in everyday speech

So if you are learning Spanish from Spain, coche is the best choice here.

What exactly does salpica mean?

Salpicar means to splash or to splatter.

In this sentence, Ese coche salpica agua means the car throws water outward as it moves, for example from puddles on a wet street.

Other examples:

• El niño salpica agua en la piscina. = The child splashes water in the pool.
• La pintura salpicó la pared. = The paint splattered the wall.