lo
/loh/
Think of 'lo' as a stand-in. Instead of repeating 'the book', you can just say 'lo' to mean 'it'.
lo (Pronoun)
📝 In Action
¿Tienes el libro? Sí, lo tengo.
A1Do you have the book? Yes, I have it.
Vi a tu amigo en el parque. Lo saludé.
A2I saw your friend in the park. I said hello to him.
Si quieres el coche, cómpralo.
A2If you want the car, buy it.
💡 Grammar Points
Replacing Masculine Things
Use 'lo' to replace a single masculine noun (one that uses 'el') that receives the action of a verb. It's the Spanish way of saying 'it' or 'him' in these situations.
Where Does 'lo' Go?
'Lo' usually goes right before the verb. For example, 'Lo compro' (I buy it). If you have two verbs together, it can also attach to the end of the second one: 'Voy a comprarlo' (I'm going to buy it).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'lo' for Feminine Things
Mistake: "Vi la película y lo recomendé."
Correction: Vi la película y la recomendé. (I saw the movie and I recommended it.) Remember that 'lo' is for masculine things ('el'). For feminine things ('la'), you need to use 'la'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sound More Natural
Spanish speakers use 'lo', 'la', 'los', and 'las' constantly to avoid repeating nouns. Getting comfortable with them is a key step to sounding more fluent.
'Lo' can also talk about ideas or 'the ... thing'. For example, 'lo importante' means 'the important thing'.
lo (Pronoun / Article)
📝 In Action
Lo bueno es que mañana es viernes.
A2The good thing is that tomorrow is Friday.
No entiendo lo que quieres decir.
B1I don't understand what you mean.
Lo de la fiesta fue increíble.
B1The thing about the party was incredible.
💡 Grammar Points
Turning Adjectives into Ideas
You can put 'lo' in front of an adjective to talk about the general idea of that quality. For example, 'lo difícil' means 'the difficult part' or 'the difficulty'.
Referring to a Whole Situation
Use 'lo que' (what) or 'lo de' (the thing about...) to talk about a situation or something that was just said, not just a single physical object.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'lo que' and 'qué'
Mistake: "No sé que quieres."
Correction: No sé lo que quieres. (I don't know what you want.) When 'what' means 'the thing that', use 'lo que'. Use 'qué' (with an accent) for direct questions like '¿Qué quieres?' (What do you want?).
⭐ Usage Tips
Summarizing Ideas
This use of 'lo' is perfect for summarizing. After a long story, you could say, 'Lo interesante fue que...' (The interesting part was that...).
Use 'lo' to add emphasis, like saying 'You have no idea HOW...' For example, 'lo rápido que corre' means 'how fast he runs'.
lo (Article)
📝 In Action
No te imaginas lo difícil que es este examen.
B1You can't imagine how difficult this exam is.
Me sorprende lo bien que hablas español.
B1I'm surprised by how well you speak Spanish.
¡Mira lo alto que es ese edificio!
B2Look how tall that building is!
💡 Grammar Points
The Emphasis Formula
The pattern is simple and fixed: lo + [adjective or adverb] + que. It's a special structure used to add extra punch to your description.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'que'
Mistake: "No sabes lo cansado estoy."
Correction: No sabes lo cansado que estoy. (You don't know how tired I am.) This special emphasis structure always needs 'que' after the descriptive word.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Surprise or Emotion
This is a fantastic way to express strong feelings like surprise, admiration, or frustration. It adds a lot of emotion to what you're saying.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: lo
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses 'lo' to say 'The important thing is to listen'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'lo' and 'le'?
This is a great question that confuses many learners! Use 'lo' when the person or thing is the *direct* receiver of the action (I see *him* -> Lo veo). Use 'le' when the person is the *indirect* receiver, often to or for someone (I give the book *to him* -> Le doy el libro). Some regions in Spain use 'le' for 'him' even directly, but using 'lo' is standard in most of the Spanish-speaking world.
Can 'lo' mean 'what'?
Yes, but almost always as part of the phrase 'lo que'. By itself, 'lo' doesn't mean 'what'. The phrase 'lo que' means 'that which' or 'the thing that', which is how we often translate 'what' in a statement (e.g., 'That's what I said' -> 'Eso es lo que dije'). For questions, you use 'qué'.
Why do I sometimes see 'se lo' together?
When you have two pronouns together and both would start with 'l' (like 'le lo'), Spanish changes the first one to 'se' to make it sound better. For example, instead of 'Le lo di' (I gave it to him), you say 'Se lo di'. The 'se' here just means 'to him/her/them'.