"Lo" as a neutral article

Question

I understand the use of "lo" as a pronoun and also know that is a neutral article as well. I am just having a hard time understanding when it should be used because I can't seem to grasp its english equivalency.

¡Con todo lo que yo he hecho por ella! After all that I have done for her!

Acepté lo que me ofrecieron. I accepted what they offered me.

In the english translations there is no word needed for what the "lo" conveys. Is it possible for someone to explain just why the "lo" is needed and exactly what it means?

Thanks, Peter

Answer 1

Maybe if you break it down into its two respective clauses it will be easier to understand

Acepté lo que me ofrecieron

?Lo acepté ? I accepted it
?Me lo ofrecieron ? They offered it to me.

Combining them, you might logically see it as:

Acepté lo que me ofrecieron ? I accepted that which they offered me.

or I accepted what they offered me.

Answer 2

Thanks everyone for your answers and links. Each was incredibly useful and helped paint a fuller picture for me.

-Peter

Answer 3

I think you are confused in those two examples because you are looking for a meaning of "lo" by itself, while in those sentences you should be looking at "lo que" as one unit. Like others have said, "lo que" means "what" (as a noun) or "that which" or some rough English equivalent.

Answer 4

Now that I think about it, I remember having found the following resources helpful when I first began studying this concept:

Relative Pronouns in Spanish

Mastering Spanish Grammar by Pilar Muñoz

I ordered the Pilar muñoz It will be waiting for me when i get back to the states. good recommendation thanks - pacofinkler, Mar 22, 2011

Answer 5

Lo que is used to refer to an idea or concept. Lo often refers to abstract ideas. Por ejemplo: "Lo malo y lo bueno" - "The good and the bad."

Answer 6

You can find some more examples and clear explanation on our reference page Articles - Neuter

Answer 7

At times we translate the meaning into another language, (in this case English), and not the word for word translation. In the latter sentence above literally it can be translated as "I accepted it that they offerred me". Of course, in english we say simply, "I accepted what they offerred me". In the prior sentence it is an idiomatic expression. Even in the latter sentence it is also an idiomatic expression. That is simply how it is expressed in Spanish.