Hey guys....here is another basic grammar question for you. Since everyone was so helpful on the pronouns post, I'd like some help clarifying another grammar "thang". I am still confused sometimes with the use of el and lo. Most of my problems come from the fact that I am trying to directly translate things, and I know it doesn't work but am never sure what rules to apply. My general problem is that everything I have learned was learned in the streets of Madrid so my Spanish is more of a mimiced Spanish than one learned in a formal structure and when I am in situations or in conversations that don't have a common structure or of a common topic, I loss some of my confidence.
The obvious uses of "El" "Es el perro mas grande que haya en este barrio". I also believe to be correct "Entre los tres, Juan es el mejor padre"
But I hear "lo" sneak into conversations where, in English, we would use "the". Let's see if I can come up with some decent examples. I think it might have to do whether the "thing" we are talking about is directly mentioned in the sentence. Juan pregunta "Que tal el peli que fuistes a ver ayer?" Maria contesta "Fue el/lo mejor que he visto por un dos anos".
I am pretty sure it is "lo mejor" but I don't know why other than it "sounds" right.
Thanks MM'ers.
y desde el club de los humildes rescatar aquellos besos que he tirado sin amar
It hard to explain grammar, especially when it is your native language grammar! I am going to look for a good explanation for your doubt and I will post it here,ok? In your example: "Qu� tal la peli que fuistes a ver ayer?" Mar�a contesta "Fue la/lo mejor que he visto en dos a�os", you can say "Es la mejor que he visto en dos a�os". With the pronoun "la" you refer to "la pel�cula". Of course, you can also say "Es lo mejor que he visto en dos a�os"...but to be honest, I cannot explain it why now...I will think about it. But we use it a lot: Lo mejor lo peor lo m�s alucinante,etc It is kinda coloquial in some cases. Sorry I am not very hepful!
"Every person is a new door to a different world"
Posts: 26 | Location: Madrid,Spain | Registered: 22 November 2001
good..back to the direct/indirect pronoun thing. So, back to the example. "It was the best movie I have seen in two years".
La is referring to the movie. Verb = saw , subject = I, Movie = direct object and in this case, it is feminine, so we are looking at"..es la mejor que he visto en dos anos" or shortened "fue la mejor...."
There are two parts of Spanish grammar that are a real $%#@%. In the case of Lo/le/la, you have to know if the word you r referring to is a direct or indirect object but you either aren't actually using the object in the sentence or it appears after the pronoun in the sentence. So when you are speaking, you have to keep in mind what type of object is coming after the next pronoun in your sentence if you want to speak correctly. Thank god English doesn't put the cart before the horse or I'de be in deep kimshee. Luckily, after about 10 sol y sombras, I just don't care
The other one that drives me batty is gender agreement when the gender specific noun appears after a certain word. So, if I am saying "cuantas chicas" or "cuantos chicos" I have to fricken remember (while not trying to speak like a a first year freshman high school spanish student) what gender the second word is before I have even uttered the first word.
Can't someone talk to Inst. Cervantes and tell them to get rid of la/lo/le and just use lo for masculine (direct and indirect) and la for feminine (direct or indirect)? Jer, don't you have some pull over there? Maybe you could give them free access to the Plaza Mayor streaming video.
y desde el club de los humildes rescatar aquellos besos que he tirado sin amar
Hehehehe If you think Spanish is crazy, you should check other languages... And you should have seen the way English was centuries ago... Being serious, it is a question of practise, believe me.
"Every person is a new door to a different world"
Posts: 26 | Location: Madrid,Spain | Registered: 22 November 2001
originally posted by rebequita: [qb] And you should have seen the way English was centuries ago... [/qb]
I agree rebequita. Those of us who have suffered studying Anglo-Saxon grammar for historia de la lengua inglesa know how complex (and difficult) it was!!
I remember a sentence like He aerist scop aelda barnum heben til hrofe (literally translated to Present Day English as: "He first created to children of men heaven as a roof") taken from a religious poem, as a proof of what rebequita says, and I think how lucky we have been that English grammar got so much simplified as it evolved!!
And you say Spanish grammar is difficult? Hah! �Eso no es nada! :jeje:
Cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare
If you think Spanish is crazy, you should check other languages... 
(literally translated to Present Day English as: "He first created to children of men heaven as a roof") taken from a religious poem, as a proof of what rebequita says, and I think how lucky we have been that English grammar got so much simplified as it evolved!!
