lo used with todo

Question

I'm very confused as to when you need to include "lo" when you are referencing everything (todo), and why it is required.

For example, do you say: quiero hacerlo todo or quiero hacer todo? me dijo todo or me lo dijo todo?

If someone could explain the concept and the answers to those questions above that would be very useful for me.

Thank you

Answer 1

Quiero hacerlo todo ... I want to do it all / all of it.

Quiero hacer todo ... Without any context this doesn´t mean much, simply "I want to do everything", so it has to be in relation with another phrase or with other words in the same phrase, ie: Quiero hacer todo lo que es posible ... I want to do everything that is possible / ¿Qué tanto puedes ayudarnos? Quiero hacer todo ... How much can you help us? I want to do everything.

me dijo todo or me lo dijo todo?

The first: He / she told me everything. By adding lo in the second, we emphasize a specific thing that was told as in: He told me all of it.

:) - FELIZ77, Sep 10, 2016

Or, "He told me all about it." - Daniela2041, Sep 11, 2016

Mejor todavía, Doña profesora - 005faa61, Sep 11, 2016

Good answer JulianChivi! Both are ok :) Sometimes "lo" is replacing the direct object which is omitted... "Me contó todo" or "Me lo contó" (lo replaces todo) or "Me lo contó todo" to put more enphasis as Julian says - Benz, Sep 13, 2016