Esta balada es muy larga.

This ballad is very long.

Breakdown of Esta balada es muy larga.

• ser: to be
• muy: very
• esta: this
• largo: long

Questions & Answers about Esta balada es muy larga.

Why is it esta and not este?

Because balada is a feminine singular noun in Spanish.

• este = this (for masculine singular nouns)
• esta = this (for feminine singular nouns)

So:

• este libro = this book
• esta balada = this ballad

Spanish demonstratives have to agree with the noun they describe.

How do I know that balada is feminine?

In this sentence, you can tell because it uses esta and larga, both of which are feminine forms.

Also, many nouns ending in -a are feminine, and balada is one of them:

• la balada
• una balada
• esta balada

As always, it is best to learn nouns together with their gender.

Why is it es and not está?

Spanish uses ser and estar in different ways, and here ser is the natural choice.

• es comes from ser
• está comes from estar

In Esta balada es muy larga, the sentence is describing a characteristic of the ballad: its length. That is treated as a general quality, so Spanish uses ser.

So:

• Es muy larga = It is very long

Using está here would usually sound wrong in standard usage.