Neuter o for Ideas

Level 2

The pronoun o can stand for a whole idea, not just a thing: Xa o sei (I already know), Non o creo (I do not think so).

How It Works

An idea is "o". Ideas and facts have no gender, but Galician refers to them with o, often where English uses "it", "so" or nothing at all:

  • — Mañá hai folga. — Xa o sei. (There is a strike tomorrow. I already know.)
  • — Vai chover? — Non o creo. (Is it going to rain? I do not think so.)
  • Síntoo moito. (I am very sorry.) Literally "I feel it very much".

With iso and isto. When the idea is named first with a neuter demonstrative, o often repeats it before the verb: Iso xa o sabía (I already knew that). See isto, iso, aquilo and, for fronting in general, topic fronting.

Replacing a description. After ser, estar and parecer, o can stand for an adjective or noun already mentioned, whatever its gender: Parece doada, pero non o é (It looks easy, but it is not).

Placement and shape. Neuter o behaves like any other unstressed pronoun. It goes after the verb in a plain statement and before it after non, xa, tamén or a question word (pronouns after certain adverbs). After the verb it changes shape like any o: sei + o → seino, dixeches + o → dixéchelo.

Examples (6)

  1. Xa o sei.

    I already know.

    Word by Word: Already it I-know.

  2. — Vai chover? — Non o creo.

    — Is it going to rain? — I do not think so.

    Word by Word: — Goes to-rain? — Not it I-believe.

  3. Iso xa o sabía.

    I already knew that.

    Word by Word: That already it I-knew.

  4. Síntoo moito.

    I am very sorry.

    Word by Word: Feel-it much.

  5. Parece doado, pero non o é.

    It looks easy, but it is not.

    Word by Word: Seems easy, but not it is.

    O stands for doado (easy).

  6. Seino: mañá non hai clase.

    I know: there is no class tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Know-it: tomorrow not there-is class.

    Sei ends in a diphthong, so the enclitic o becomes no.

Common Mistakes

  • Using lo in front of the verb.

    Non lo sei.
    Non o sei.

    Lo only appears right after a verb ending in -r or -s. In front of the verb the pronoun is o.

  • Starting the sentence with the pronoun.

    O sei ben.
    Seino ben.

    With nothing to pull it forward, o follows the verb. After sei, which ends in a diphthong, it becomes no: seino.

  • Making the pronoun agree with a feminine noun inside the idea.

    Parece doada, pero non a é.
    Parece doada, pero non o é.

    When the pronoun replaces a description after ser, estar or parecer, Galician uses invariable o.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Neuter o for IdeasLevel 2

Learn This First

Neuter o can replace a whole idea or a predicative description.

Words in This Pattern

o