Breakdown of El contrato estipula el pago, es decir, esto es obligatorio.
ser
to be
el contrato
the contract
es decir
that is to say
el pago
the payment
obligatorio
mandatory
estipular
to stipulate
esto
this (neuter)
Questions & Answers about El contrato estipula el pago, es decir, esto es obligatorio.
Wait, the lesson teaches esto es as a discourse marker. Why is it right next to es decir here?
Great catch! While esto es can be a discourse marker meaning "that is," in this specific sentence it is being used literally as a pronoun (esto) and a verb (es). It simply means "this is" (this is mandatory). The only discourse marker actively used here is es decir.
Why are there commas before and after es decir?
Explicative discourse markers like es decir (that is to say) and o sea (in other words) act as connecting phrases that clarify what was just said. In Spanish, they are almost always set off by commas to reflect the slight pause you make when speaking.
Could I swap es decir for o sea in this sentence?
Why does the sentence use the neuter pronoun esto instead of este?
esto (this) is used here because it refers to the general idea or situation just mentioned (the fact that the contract stipulates payment), rather than replacing a specific masculine noun. When referring back to abstract concepts or whole clauses, Spanish uses the neuter pronouns esto, eso, or aquello.
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