How do you use Lo/It in a Spanish sentence?

Question

If I need to use "it" in a Spanish sentence, whats the proper way to use "Lo"? Is there a grammar rule for this? Would things like "Tú lo sabes" and "A mi lo me gusta" be correct?

Answer 1

There is no Spanish equivalent for "it" in over 95% of the cases, so forget about it.

In "Tú lo sabes" there is a coincidental equivalence, because "lo" refers to anything unspecific, like "it" in English as an object pronoun, but you cannot use it in all other contexts, like the "redundant it" in English (normally called "anticipatory it", to make it sound nicer).

"A mi lo me gusta" translates as "To me, it it pleases me" (Yes, two "it"). There is no "it" in this sentence, because you are saying that something is pleasing to you, leaving no room for any "it".

Could you use ello? A mí, me gusta ello. as ello can be a subject pronoun for it. - 0074b507, Jan 17, 2011

Can you? Surely you can... if you intend to sound as obsolete to Shakespeare as Shakespeare sounds to a modern English speaker. Don't try in a bar where most people have a very basic education, though -they might think you are insulting them, or something - lazarus1907, Jan 17, 2011

what is Lo used for then? - rparent62, Jan 17, 2011

Answer 2

We have a reference article on neuter articles that may help you understand the use of "lo".

Answer 3

well it depends, if youre using 'lo' for 'it', it needs to be what is being given or who it is. For to whom or for whom, you would use le