Putting words together
Choosing lo, la, los, or las
Choosing lo, la, los or las
Use lo, la, los or las instead of repeating the person or thing directly affected by an action.
The pattern
- Lo: masculine singular. La: feminine singular. Los and las: plural.
- Choose the pronoun to match what it replaces, not the person speaking.
Veo la cuna. → La veo.
I see the crib. → I see it.
Why it works: La replaces la cuna, a feminine singular noun.
Notice the difference
Veo los libros. → Los veo.
I see the books. → I see them.
Why it works: Los replaces a masculine plural noun.
One thing to watch for
English “it” can become lo or la. Ask what noun it replaces. Some regional uses, such as le for a male person, differ.