Spanish LO - neuter article?
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Sign up for freeThe word "Lo" has multiple uses.
- Lo as neuter article
- Lo as direct-object pronoun (it / him)
- Lo + que / cual
- Lo + de
- Lo in common expressions
Lesson outline
HideLo as neuter article
Spanish has next to the femenine and masculine gender, a third gender, the neuter.
| Uses | Sample sentences | English translation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo + adjective | quality or abstract idea | Rafael siempre veo lo bueno de las cosas. | Rafael always sees the bright side of things. |
| lo + adjective / adverb + que | Emphasizing the adjective or adverb | Tu jefe se da cuenta de lo duro que trabajas. | Your boss realizes how hard you work. |
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Laura M. 
Lo as direct-object pronoun (it / him)
Direct object pronouns can replace the direct object nouns in a sentence.
| Neuter | lo | it | abstract idea; unnamed activity; previous statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | lo | it, him | what? whom? |
| Feminine | la | it, her | what? whom? |
Examples:
- No lo entiendo. (I don't understand it.)
- No puedes hacerlo. (You can't do it.)
- Hay mucha gente. No lo veo. (There are many people. I cannot see him / it.)
Lo + que / cual
These phrases serve as relative pronouns (that, what, that which).
Examples:
- Eres todo lo que necesito. (You are everything that I need.)
- Intentaré hacer lo que es mejor para nosotros. (I will try to do what is better for us.)
Lo + de
This phrase generally means "the matter concerning".
Example:
El gobierno español fue informado sobre lo de Podemos. (The Spanish government was informed about the Podemos matter.)
Lo in common expressions
| Expression | English translation | Sample sentences | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a lo mejor | probably | Si mañana hace buen tiempo a lo mejor iré a nadar. | I'll probably go swimming tomorrow if the weather is ok. |
| a lo largo de | throughout | Los aviones aterrizan a lo largo de todo el día. | Airplanes are landing throughout the day. |
| por lo menos | at least | José necesita perder por lo menos 5 kilos. | José needs to lose at least 5 kilos. |
| por lo tanto | as a result, so | Este hotel sale caro, por lo tanto, tenemos que buscar otro sitio. | This hotel is too expensive, so we have to look for another place. |
| por lo general | generally | Por lo general, la gente de pueblo es muy tranquila. | Villagers are generally very quiet. |
| por lo pronto | for now | Por lo pronto, tenemos bastante dinero. | For now we have enough money. |
| por lo visto | apparently | Por lo visto, Juan no ha venido a la oficina hoy. | Juan hasn't apparently come to the office today. |