eis / eilo

Literary Presentative Eis

Level 6

Eis means "here is" or "behold". It is a literary synonym of velaquí: Eis a cuestión (that is the question).

How It Works

What eis does

Eis points something out to the listener, either something in view or something that is about to be said. It is the formal, literary partner of velaquí and velaí.

  • Something in view: Eis os cartos que me pediches (here is the money you asked me for).
  • Something announced: Eis o camiño da vitoria! (this is the road to victory!), Eis a cuestión (that is the question).

No verb

Eis works on its own like a verb. You do not add é, son or está: say Eis a cuestión, not Eis é a cuestión.

With a pronoun

When a direct object pronoun follows, it attaches to eis. The pronouns o, a, os, as change to lo, la, los, las and the s of eis disappears, just as with verbs ending in -s (see lo and la after -r and -s):

  • eis + o → eilo: Eilo aquí (here it is), Eilo tes (there you have it).
  • eis + a → eila, eis + os → eilos, eis + as → eilas.
  • Other pronouns just attach: Eisnos cantando á sombra dun carballo (here we are, singing in the shade of an oak).

Register. You will meet eis in poetry, essays, speeches and headlines. In everyday speech, velaquí, velaí or simply aquí está are more natural.

Examples (6)

  1. Eis a cuestión.

    That is the question.

    Eis announces what comes next, with no verb.

  2. Eis os cartos que me pediches.

    Here is the money you asked me for.

    Eis presents something in view of the listener.

  3. Buscabas as chaves? Eilas aquí.

    Were you looking for the keys? Here they are.

    Eis + as becomes eilas.

  4. Eilo tes.

    There you have it.

    Eis + o becomes eilo.

  5. Eis o camiño da vitoria!

    This is the road to victory!

    A typical exclamation in speeches and slogans.

  6. Eisnos cantando á sombra dun carballo.

    Here we are, singing in the shade of an oak.

    Nos attaches to eis without any change.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a verb after eis.

    Eis son os cartos que me pediches.
    Eis os cartos que me pediches.

    Eis already means "here is". It presents the noun directly, with no verb.

  • Leaving the pronoun o separate after eis.

    Eis o aquí.
    Eilo aquí.

    A pronoun attaches to eis, and o becomes lo after the s is dropped: eilo.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

eis / eiloLevel 6Literary Presentative Eis

Learn This First

Literary eis presents a noun or pronoun and forms eilo with an attached o.

Words in This Pattern

eis