Ese comentario fue tonto.

That comment was silly.

Breakdown of Ese comentario fue tonto.

• ser: to be
• ese: that
• el comentario: the comment
• tonto: silly or foolish

Questions & Answers about Ese comentario fue tonto.

Why is it ese comentario and not este comentario?

Ese means that, while este means this.

So:

• ese comentario = that comment
• este comentario = this comment

In Spanish, ese usually points to something a bit removed from the speaker, whether physically or mentally. In a sentence like this, it often refers to a comment already mentioned or one the speaker wants to distance themselves from.

In Spain, learners may also notice the fuller three-way contrast:

• este = this
• ese = that
• aquel = that over there / that one further away

Why is it comentario and not comentaria?

Because comentario is a masculine noun in Spanish. Its gender is grammatical, not based on whether the thing is male or female.

So you say:

• el comentario
• ese comentario
• un comentario tonto

Even though many nouns ending in -o are masculine, this is still something you ultimately learn with each noun.

Why is it tonto and not tonta?