Ch 31 · Lesson 8Spanish · Chapter 31 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
The neuter lo: lo bueno, lo importante
The genderless article that turns an adjective into an idea: (the good thing), (the hard part), , .
The short version
.
Why?Hide
Put in front of a masculine singular adjective and you get an abstract noun: is the good thing, is the hard part, is what matters. never agrees, because it points at a concept rather than a thing, so and are not options here.
The neuter lo at a glance
Four patterns, one word. never becomes , or , because it points at an idea, not a thing:
| Pattern | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| + adjective | . | The good thing is it isn't raining. |
| ... | . | You can't imagine how hard it was. |
. | What I need is time. | |
¿ Pedro? | Have you heard about Pedro? |
When is the object of a verb, it is the pronoun: . (I bought it yesterday.) When it sits straight in front of an adjective, or , it is the article, even after a verb: . (I know what you want.)
Lo + adjective: the good thing
plus a masculine singular adjective makes an idea: "the ... thing" or "the ... part".
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| the good thing |
| the bad thing |
| the important thing |
| the hard part |
| the best thing |
| the worst thing |
The adjective stays masculine singular, even when the idea is about something feminine or plural:
.- The hard part was starting..- The bad thing about the house is the noise.
Stretch it with (about) or (most):
.- The good thing about living here is the climate..- The most important thing is your health..- I'll do everything I can.
It works with possessives too: is "what's mine", "what we have":
.- What's mine is yours..- It's over between us.
Going further: Lo ... que: how hard it is and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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