Ese estante parece resistente.

Ese means that and points to something near the listener or not especially close to the speaker.

So:

• este estante = this shelf
• ese estante = that shelf
• aquel estante = that shelf over there / that shelf farther away

In everyday speech, the difference between ese and aquel is sometimes not very strict, but this is the basic idea.

Because estante is masculine in this sentence, so the demonstrative must also be masculine:

• ese estante
• el estante

Demonstratives agree with the noun in gender and number:

• ese estante = that shelf
• esos estantes = those shelves

Estante most commonly means shelf.

Depending on context, it can sometimes also refer to a bookcase or shelving unit, but in many basic learning contexts it is best understood as shelf.

So Ese estante parece resistente most naturally means That shelf looks sturdy / seems sturdy.

Because the sentence uses parecer, not ser.

• parece = seems / looks
• es = is

So:

• Ese estante parece resistente = That shelf seems sturdy
• Ese estante es resistente = That shelf is sturdy / resistant

The first one expresses an impression or appearance. The second one states it more directly as a fact.

Parece is the third-person singular form of parecer, which means to seem or to appear.

Here it agrees with ese estante, which is singular:

• Ese estante parece resistente = That shelf seems sturdy.

If the subject were plural, it would change:

• Esos estantes parecen resistentes = Those shelves seem sturdy.

Use parecer when you want to say something appears to be a certain way, without fully stating it as a fact.

Compare:

• Ese estante parece resistente = That shelf seems/looks sturdy.
• Ese estante es resistente = That shelf is sturdy.
• Ese estante está... would usually need a different kind of adjective, because estar is often used for states or conditions, not for this meaning of sturdy.

So parece resistente is a natural way to express a judgment based on appearance.

It is related to English resistant, but here the most natural translation is usually sturdy, strong, or durable.

Literally, resistente means something like able to withstand force, weight, or damage.

With a shelf, English speakers would often say:

• That shelf looks sturdy
• That shelf seems strong
• That shelf seems durable

So although resistant is a related word, it may sound less natural in English in this context.

Some Spanish adjectives have the same form for both masculine and feminine singular.

So you get:

• el estante resistente
• la mesa resistente

But it does change in the plural:

• el estante resistente
• los estantes resistentes
• la mesa resistente
• las mesas resistentes

So resistente is an adjective with one singular form and a plural in -s.

In Spanish, adjectives often come after the noun.

So:

• un estante resistente = a sturdy shelf

This is the normal position for many descriptive adjectives.

In your sentence, though, resistente comes after parece, because it is part of the predicate:

• Ese estante parece resistente

That structure is similar to English That shelf seems sturdy.

Yes. Se ve resistente can also mean looks sturdy.

Compare:

• Ese estante parece resistente = That shelf seems sturdy.
• Ese estante se ve resistente = That shelf looks sturdy.

Both are natural, but parece is a bit more like seems, while se ve focuses more on visual appearance.

You need to change the demonstrative, the verb, and the adjective:

• Ese estante parece resistente.
• Esos estantes parecen resistentes.

Changes:

• ese → esos
• estante → estantes
• parece → parecen
• resistente → resistentes

A Spain Spanish pronunciation would be approximately:

EH-seh es-TAHN-teh pah-REH-the reh-sees-TEN-teh

A few useful points for Spain Spanish:

• ce in parece is pronounced with a th sound, like English think
• stress falls on:
  • esTANte
  • paREce
  • resisTENte

In much of Latin America, ce would sound like s instead.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Ese estante parece resistente = That shelf seems sturdy.
• El estante parece resistente = The shelf seems sturdy.

Use ese when you are pointing out or identifying that particular shelf. Use el when the shelf is already clear from context.