Ch 31 · Lesson 10Spanish · Chapter 31 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Lo que and lo de: what, and the business about
, , , ¿ Pedro? Plus the mistakes.
The short version
is what; a question takes
.
Why?Hide
means what in the sense of the thing that: , . After a comma, or sums up the clause before it, like which. A direct question takes instead: ¿ ?
: the business about
¿ Pedro?
Why?Hide
plus a name, a noun or an infinitive points at an affair both speakers know about, without spelling it out: ¿ Pedro?, . It is , very common and vague on purpose.
Lo que and lo cual: what, which
means "what" in the sense of "the thing that". It points at an idea, not a named noun:
| Use | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| something said | . | I don't understand what you say. |
| a need | . | What I need is time. |
| a free choice | . | Do what you like. |
| a favourite | . | What I like most is cooking. |
After a comma, or sums up the whole clause before it, like English "which":
, .- He/She arrived late, which annoyed me., .- He/She didn't answer, which worried me.
Only means "what": , never " ". A direct question takes : ¿ ? (What do you want?) against . (I know what you want.) More on the advanced relative pronouns.
Lo de: the business about
plus a name, a noun or an infinitive means "the business about" or "that thing with". It points at an affair both speakers know, without spelling it out:
| About | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| a person | ¿ Pedro? | Have you heard about Pedro? |
| an event | . | That business yesterday was a mistake. |
| a plan | . | Forget the party thing. |
| an idea | . | I don't like this working-on-Sundays business. |
It is , very common, and vague on purpose: Pedro lets you raise the subject without saying what happened.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| never agrees | |
| never goes before a noun | |
| in ... the adjective agrees | |
| only means what |
Going further: The neuter lo at a glance 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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