Te Deseo (El or Lo) Mejor

Question

Buen día amigos,

So, I had a brain fart and proceeded from there to get myself all mixed in a conversation earlier with a buddy of mine. Would it be, "te deseo el mejor" or "te deseo lo mejor"? Ayudame por favor.

Saludos,

DJ ((( d(-_-)b )))

I've learnt anew expression: Brain fart. Thank you. - annierats, Aug 29, 2012

Is thee a remedy, now I have a name for the syndrome, I think I suffer from it quite often... - annierats, Aug 29, 2012

Jeje, unfortunantly there is no cure for brain farting yet. =] - DJ_Huero, Aug 29, 2012

Or is there... (pulls out a bottle of ''Pepto Bismol Cerebro'') Katchá!!! - Ox-Y-Gen, Aug 29, 2012

jaja, ¡este wey! orale pues - DJ_Huero, Aug 29, 2012

Answer 1

Lo mejor.

You are not specific about what you are wishing the best of, therefore you use "lo" because it literally means "The very best 'thing'"

You would only use "el" if you had a masculine noun after mejor, but even then, in that sentence, it would sound weird.

"el" before "mejor" is used only when there is a noun after "mejor," but not in a sentence where you are wishing someone the best. You would use "el" if you said something like "El mejor chocolate es de la marca Hersheys." Not in something like "I wish you the best."

Orale pues, missy, eso me aclara la situación. =] - DJ_Huero, Aug 29, 2012

I,pressive, Missy! - annierats, Aug 29, 2012

Answer 2

I searched around the web on this, and it seems there are quite a few conflicting opinions on the "el vs. lo" issue. I get the general impression that "el" is used when you are talking about something specific, "the best car", etc., and you use "lo" when the object is uncertain, "the best thing". So...in this case it seems to me "lo mejor" is the way to go.

Orale pues, muchas gracias noetol. Parece que sí. =] - DJ_Huero, Aug 29, 2012

Answer 3

Te deseo lo mejor