lo + Adjective/Adverb + que
Intensity with Lo...Que
Use 'lo + adjective/adverb + que' to express 'how' + adjective/adverb something is, emphasizing its degree.
How It Works
The structure lo + adjective/adverb + que is a powerful tool in Spanish for adding emphasis or expressing surprise, admiration, or another strong emotion about the degree of a quality or action. It's equivalent to saying 'how...' in English, but in an exclamatory or declarative sense, not as a question.
Key Points:
- Function: To intensify an adjective or adverb.
- Structure: It's typically embedded within a larger clause, like 'No sabes...', 'Me di cuenta de...', 'Es increíble...'.
- Translation: 'how [adjective/adverb]...' or 'the extent to which...'.
Usage with Adjectives
A crucial rule is that the adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, even though it follows the neuter article 'lo'.
- No sabes lo simpática que es María. (You don't know how nice María is.)
Here, 'simpática' is feminine singular to agree with 'María'. - Me impresionó lo altos que son los edificios. (I was impressed by how tall the buildings are.)
Here, 'altos' is masculine plural to agree with 'los edificios'.
Usage with Adverbs
When used with an adverb, there is no agreement to worry about, as adverbs are invariable.
- Viste lo rápido que corre el atleta. (You saw how fast the athlete runs.)
- Aprecio lo mucho que me ayudas. (I appreciate how much you help me.)
Contrast with ¡Qué...!
While both structures express intensity, ¡Qué...! is typically used for standalone exclamations, whereas 'lo...que' is integrated into a sentence.
- Standalone Exclamation: ¡Qué inteligente es! (How intelligent he is!)
- Embedded Clause: Me sorprende lo inteligente que es. (It surprises me how intelligent he is.)
This structure is distinct from nominalization with 'lo' (e.g., lo importante - 'the important thing') and the relative pronoun lo que ('what' or 'that which').
Examples (5)
- No te imaginas lo difícil que es este examen.
You can't imagine how difficult this exam is.
Word by Word: Not you imagine the difficult that is this exam.
- Me sorprendió lo alta que es tu hermana.
I was surprised by how tall your sister is.
Word by Word: Me surprised the tall that is your sister.
Notice that 'alta' is feminine to agree with 'hermana', not the neuter 'lo'.
- Vimos lo contentos que estaban los niños con sus regalos.
We saw how happy the children were with their gifts.
Word by Word: We saw the happy that were the children with their gifts.
Here, 'contentos' is masculine plural to agree with 'los niños'.
- La gente no aprecia lo bien que cocinas.
People don't appreciate how well you cook.
Word by Word: The people not appreciate the well that you cook.
'Bien' is an adverb, so it does not change form.
- Es increíble lo bonitas que son las playas aquí.
It's incredible how beautiful the beaches are here.
Word by Word: Is incredible the beautiful that are the beaches here.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to make the adjective agree with the noun it describes.
Me sorprendió lo alto que es tu hermana.Me sorprendió lo alta que es tu hermana.The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies ('hermana' is feminine, so 'alta' is used), not with the neuter article 'lo'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the intensive 'lo + adjective/adverb + que' construction, you first need to understand how the neuter article 'lo' works with adjectives to express abstract ideas. You also need a solid grasp of how 'que' connects clauses and how adjectives and adverbs function independently, as this pattern uses them to emphasize the degree or intensity of a quality.
- lo + AdjectiveNominalized Adjectives
Understanding the use of the neuter article 'lo' with adjectives to create abstract concepts is the foundation for this intensive construction.
Level 5 - -menteAdverb Formation
Since this pattern can be used with both adjectives and adverbs, understanding how adverbs are formed and used is necessary for the adverbial version of the construction.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- qué/cuánto/cómoExclamatory Constructions
'lo...que' is an alternative way to express the intensity found in exclamations like '¡Qué rápido!' (How fast!). 'lo...que' is typically embedded in a sentence, while '¡Qué...!' often stands alone.
Level 6 - -ísimo/aAbsolute Superlative
Both are used for intensification. 'Es rapidísimo' (It's extremely fast) is an absolute superlative, while 'No sabes lo rápido que es' (You don't know how fast it is) emphasizes the degree of its speed.
Level 1 - lo queLo Que Construction
It's important to distinguish the intensity structure 'lo...que' from the relative pronoun 'lo que', which means 'what' or 'that which'. For example, 'lo importante que es' (how important it is) vs. 'lo que es importante' (what is important).
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice lo + Adjective/Adverb + que in Bubblegum
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