In this grammar lesson, you will learn how to use how to use lo que in Spanish.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to use lo que in Spanish
- how lo que in Spanish is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to use lo que in Spanish
- how you can practice with flashcards on how to use lo que in Spanish
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn Spanish
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about how to use lo que in Spanish!
Table of Contents
Lo Que in Spanish = What/Which/That Which/The Thing That
Lo que can mean “what, “which”, “that which”, or “the thing that” when you refer to an idea that has been mentioned in the same sentence.
Have a look at some examples:
Lo que dice ahí es que no podemos entrar más de dos personas juntas.
What it says there is that no more than two people can enter together.
Sara va a dar a su perro en adopción, lo que me parece fatal.
Sara is putting her dog up for adoption, which I think is terrible.
Lo que mas me gusta de Sevilla es su gente.
What I like most about Seville is its people.
Mi hermana va a tener su primer hijo, lo que nos hace muy felices.
My sister is going to have her first child, which makes us very happy.
At times, lo que will be part of the expression of an idea:
Siempre hay que hacer lo que tu dices.
We always have to do what you say.
Siempre me dice lo que no le gusta de mí.
He always tells me what he doesn’t like about me.
Prefiero no contarte lo que escuché sobre él.
I’d rather not tell you what I heard about him.
¿Cuándo vas a cumplir lo que has prometido?
When are you going to honour your promises?
Lo Que vs Que
Even though lo que and que may be similar, they perform different functions.
Lo que refers to a whole idea, whereas que only refers to a noun:
Mi madre no está en casa, lo que quiere decir que se ha ido antes al trabajo.
My mother is not at home, which means she has gone to work earlier.
Mi madre, que está trabajando, no llegará a casa hasta tarde.
My mother, who is working, will not be home till late.
Should you want to say “everything that…/all that…” then you will say “todo lo que“:
Todo lo que pido a este año es que todos tengamos salud.
All I ask of this year is that we all have health.
Todo lo que hablemos en esta reunión no debe salir de aquí.
Everything that we discuss at this meeting must stay in this room.
As you can see it is NOT “todo que“
Example Sentences on How to Use Lo Que in Spanish
This section of the lesson on how to use lo que in Spanish is about seeing the pronoun used in sentences.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of how to use lo que in Spanish through examples.
Lo que dice ahí es que no podemos entrar más de dos personas juntas.
What it says there is that no more than two people can enter together.
Sara va a dar a su perro en adopción, lo que me parece fatal.
Sara is putting her dog up for adoption, which I think is terrible.
Lo que mas me gusta de Sevilla es su gente.
What I like most about Seville is its people.
Mi hermana va a tener su primer hijo, lo que nos hace muy felices.
My sister is going to have her first child, which makes us very happy.
Siempre hay que hacer lo que tu dices.
We always have to do what you say.
Siempre me dice lo que no le gusta de mí.
He always tells me what he doesn’t like about me.
Prefiero no contarte lo que escuché sobre él.
I’d rather not tell you what I heard about him.
¿Cuándo vas a cumplir lo que has prometido?
When are you going to honour your promises?
Mi madre no está en casa, lo que quiere decir que se ha ido antes al trabajo.
My mother is not at home, which means she has gone to work earlier.
Mi madre, que está trabajando, no llegará a casa hasta tarde.
My mother, who is working, will not be home till late.
Todo lo que pido a este año es que todos tengamos salud.
All I ask of this year is that we all have health.
Todo lo que hablemos en esta reunión no debe salir de aquí.
Everything that we discuss at this meeting must stay in this room.
Quiz Yourself on How to Use Lo Que in Spanish
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our Spanish B1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 2,052 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for Spanish B1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be an easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
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