O neutral article LO (LO neutral article in Spanish) is an article that only exists in Spanish language. Its main function is to substantivate adjectives, adverbs and participles. It is an invariable word, without gender and number marking, and for that very reason it does not accompany nouns, determining them, as the definite articles LA, LAS, EL, LOS do (a, as, o, os).
Other functions include emphasizing something in the utterance and even referencing places. In this text, you will learn how to use this article and also some idioms that contain it. Do we start?
Read too: The prepositions — prepositions in Spanish
What is the LO neutral article?
The neutral article LO is a definite and invariable word whose main function is substantive adjectives, adverbs and participles.
Lo bueno de esta casa es la calefacción.
(The good thing about this house is the heating.)
You don't know how much I want you.
(You don't know how much I love you.)
Did you suspect that it happened on Mondays?
(Did you hear about what happened on Monday?)
How to use the neutral article LO?
a) The neutral article can have a referential function (lo + adjective), which limits what the neutral article refers to. In this case, the adjective or participle has no number or gender variation (even if it is in the masculine, the grammar of the Spanish language understands that, in this case, it is a neutral use of the adjective). See the example:
Climbed to the top of the mountain.
(He went up to the top of the mountain.)
In the former sentence we mean that the person went up to a part of the mountain, that is, to the top; so there is a limitation of something inanimate, which in this case is the mountain. See another example:
I love the sweet.
(I love sweet things.)
In this other example, we see one more limitation imposed by the neutral article LO. The phrase in Spanish could be explained as follows: among the things I love, the main ones are sweets. Let's look at one more example:
Lo bueno de esta curso es que es corto.
(The good thing about this course is that it's short.)
In this example, it can be interpreted that the good part of the course is its short duration. Now, one last example:
What happened ayer was not important.
(What happened yesterday was not important.)
As seen in the translation, in this case an event is limited.
b) The neutral article LO also has an emphatic function, that is, to give emphasis or prominence to its referent. In this case, the article is followed by adjectives, adverbs and participles that vary in gender and number:
You should see the beautiful ones that are in the new houses.
(You should see how beautiful the new houses are.)
You don't know how good it is for me to be here.
(You don't know how good it makes me to be here.)
c) In some Spanish-American countries, it is common to use the expression “lo de” before proper names of people or places:
Let's go to Camila's lo.
(We go to Camila's house.)
Today I went to see the doctor.
(Today I went to the doctor's office.)
d) The neutral article LO is also part of some idioms, such as lo suyo, lo mío, lo tuyo, a lo sumo, de lo contrario, por lo les, a lo mejor…
You never open up, you always suffer with everything.
(You never open up, you always suffer a lot.)
Lo mío is traveling.
(My business is traveling. / What I like to do is travel.)
Alejandra is not here, at least she is still working.
(Alejandra is not in, maybe she is still working.)
What are the differences between LO and EL article?
The neuter article LO is often confused with the masculine definite article EL, but we will see that they have quite different uses. As explained, the neutral article LO is invariable and does not accompany a noun, unlike the determined article EL, which is masculine and singular. Let's look at two examples:
I am indignant at the futility of this task.
(I am indignant at the futility of this task.)
The useless of this computer does not work.
(The useless of this computer does not work.)
In the first sentence, a characteristic of a task is highlighted, without demarcating gender — the person is indignant with the useless aspect of the task; that is, it is a referential use. In the second, the computer is being qualified, an object in the masculine gender characterized as useless because it does not work. In this second sentence, the adjective could even refer to a person; not at first.
To explain it better, let's give one more example, this time with the emphatic LO alternating with the feminine plural definite article LAS:
I've seen a series of the most funny things I've seen lately.
(I saw one of the funniest series I've seen lately.)
I've seen a series of the funniest ones I've seen lately.
(I saw a series that is one of the funniest things I've seen lately.)
In the first sentence, the series is only being compared to other series, and among them, the one I saw is the most fun. In the second, there is a set of entities of all kinds — not just series — characterized by being fun, and in this set I include this series that I refer to.
See too: The pronouns — pronouns in spanish
Solved exercises on the neutral article LO
question 1
Mark the option that adequately completes the following sentence:
We know that ______ better is yet to come.
Hello
B) there
C) them
D) he
E) them
Resolution:
Alternative A.
This is a referential use of the neutral article LO.
question 2
(PUC - adapted) Read the paragraph and select the correct words to complete the lagoons.
Without doubt _____ the most beautiful of life, it is decir, _____ the strongest and most daring feeling of life is the happiness that _____ has been able to experience.
The words that correctly complete the lagoons are gathered in:
A) lo-lo-un
B) lo-el-one
C) el-lo-one
D) el - el - one
E) el – lo – un
Resolution:
Alternative B.
At the beginning we have a referential use of the neutral article LO, followed by a masculine noun (feeling) determined by article EL; at the end, we have the article UNO, which can be translated, in this case, as “us”.
Source
SPAIN. Manual de la Nueva Gramática de la Lengua Española. Royal Spanish Academy. Association of Spanish Language Academies. Madrid: Espasa, 2010.
By Renata Martins Gornattes
Spanish teacher
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/espanhol/articulo-neutro-lo-artigo-neutro-lo.htm