Lo + adjective and lo que

B2

Grammar path · Lesson 78 of 86 · Stage B2 · Advanced sentences

Spanish uses the neuter word lo to talk about an idea or an aspect rather than a specific thing. Put lo before a masculine singular adjective and you get 'the ... thing' or 'the ... part': lo importante is 'the important thing', lo peor is 'the worst part'. Put lo que before a clause and you get 'what' or 'the thing that': lo que dices is 'what you say'. Learners often mix up lo que and que: que always follows a specific noun (el libro que leí), while lo que has no noun before it.

Practise this lesson · 9 sentences

Form

Lo + adjectiveLo + adjetivo + verbo + ...
Lo importante es practicar todos los días.The important thing is to practice every day.
Lo que + clause... + lo que + verbo + ...
No entiendo lo que dices.I don't understand what you're saying.
Lo + adjective/adverb + que (degree)verbo + lo + adjetivo/adverbio + que + verbo
No sabes lo cansada que estoy.You don't know how tired I am.

When to use it

Talking about an aspect or general idea

Lo + a masculine singular adjective turns it into an abstract noun: 'the good thing', 'the hard part'. It often takes 'de' to say what it belongs to.

Lo bueno de esta ciudad es la comida.The good thing about this city is the food.
Lo peor ya pasó.The worst is over.

Lo que: 'what', 'the thing that'

Lo que stands for an unnamed thing, or refers back to a whole idea just mentioned. No noun comes right before it.

Lo que necesito es dormir un poco.What I need is to get some sleep.
Llegó tarde otra vez, lo que molestó a todos.He arrived late again, which annoyed everyone.

Stressing degree: lo + adjective + que

After verbs like saber, imaginar or sorprender, this pattern means 'how (very)'. Here the adjective agrees with the person or thing described.

No te imaginas lo difícil que fue.You can't imagine how hard it was.
Me sorprende lo bien que hablas español.I'm surprised by how well you speak Spanish.

Signal words

lo mejorlo peorlo buenolo malolo importantetodo lo quelo que pasa es que

Don't confuse it with

Relative clauses: que, quien, donde

Look just before it: if there is a specific noun (el libro, la chica), use que; if there is no noun, or you are referring back to a whole idea, use lo que. So say 'Llegó tarde, lo que me molestó', not 'Llegó tarde, que me molestó'.

Frequently asked questions

Is the adjective after lo always masculine?

In lo + adjective, yes: lo bueno, lo importante. But in lo + adjective + que the adjective agrees with the person described: No sabes lo cansada que estoy.

What is the difference between lo que and que?

Que follows a specific noun: la película que vi. Lo que has no noun before it and means 'what': lo que vi.

Can I use qué instead of lo que?

Only in indirect questions: No sé qué quieres and No sé lo que quieres are both fine. A sentence like 'What I need is...' must be Lo que necesito es..., never qué.

Does lo in lo bueno mean 'it'?

No. Here lo is the neuter article, not an object pronoun, and it turns the adjective into 'the ... thing'.

How do I say 'everything that'?

Use todo lo que: Haz todo lo que puedas. Never say todo que.

More in Pronouns

Subject pronouns: yo, tú, él, ella…A1Tú vs ustedA1Possessive adjectives: mi, tu, su…A1Demonstratives: este, ese, aquelA1Direct object pronouns: lo, la, los, lasA2Indirect object pronouns: le, lesA2Double object pronouns: se lo, se laA2Pronouns after prepositions: para mí, contigoA2Indefinite words: algo, alguien, nadie, ningunoA2
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