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"Lo" is a pronoun which is often translated as "it", and "ayudar" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to help". Learn more about the difference between "lo" and "ayudar" below.
lo(
loh
)A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
a. it
¿Qué hago con el lomo de cerdo? - Cocínalo despacio.What should I do with the pork loin? - Cook it slowly.
b. him
¿Te dije que me encontré a Jonás durante las vacaciones? Lo vi en Roma.Did I tell you I bumped into Jonas over break? I saw him in Rome.
c. you
Lo admiro, señor Presidente. Usted es todo un héroe para este país.I admire you, Mr. President. You're a hero to this country.
2. (possessive)
A definite article is a word that identifies a noun as specific or known to the speaker (e.g., the girl).
a. no direct translation (before an adjective)
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Lo raro es que nunca he visto a Bruce durante el día.The weird thing is that I've never seen Bruce during the day.
No te puedes imaginar lo increíble que es Palenque.You can't imagine how incredible Palenque is.
ayudar(
ah
-
yoo
-
dahr
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to assist)
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
2. (to assist)
a. to help
Si quieres ayudar, puedes barrer las hojas del jardín.If you want to help, you can sweep the leaves in the garden.
ayudarse
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
a. to help oneself
Si no te ayudas tú mismo, no esperes que otro lo haga.If you don't help yourself, don't expect anyone else to.
a. to use
Ayúdate del pasamanos para bajar las escaleras al andén.Use the handrail to go down the stairs to the platform.
b. to make use of
Se ayudaron de todos los servicios a su disposición.They made use of all the services at their disposal.
A reciprocal verb is a verb that indicates that two or more subjects perform an action on each other (e.g., Ellos se abrazan.).
a. to help each other
Los dos hermanos están muy unidos y se ayudan mucho.The two brothers are very close and they help each other a lot.
