"Lo Cual" and "Lo Que" Flashcards
When can “lo cual” be used?
Only to refer to something that has already been mentioned in the same sentence.
Él siempre se jacta, lo cual me molesta mucho.
He always brags, which really annoys me.
When can “lo que” be used? (4)
– Any time “lo cual” is used
– to refer to something that has not been brought up before in the same sentence
– at the beginning of a sentence
– use it instead of lo cual when using non-specific pronouns such as: eso, esto, todo, etc.
I can’t tell you what I heard at school today
No puedo contarte lo que escuché en la escuela hoy.
What the president said is important.
Lo que dijo el presidente es importante.
There is a new book by Isabel Allende, which I’m really excited about.
Hay un libro nuevo por Isabel Allende, lo cual me emociona mucho.
He always brags, which really annoys me.
Él siempre se jacta, lo cual me molesta mucho.
What we think isn’t important.
Lo que pensamos no es importante.
“Lo que” is the best choice for this sentence since it does not refer to anything specifically mentioned in the sentence and it is used at the beginning of the sentence.
Now, Marian knows what to do
Ahora, Marián sabe lo que tiene que hacer.
What we need is more money
Lo que necesitamos es más dinero
I’ve argued with my boss, so I’m going to quit my job.
He discutido con mi jefe, por lo cual voy a dejar mi trabajo.
I’m not afraid of what I can’t see
No tengo miedo de lo que no puedo ver
Cities are full of people, so I prefer to avoid them
Las ciudades están llenas de gente, por lo cual prefiero evitarlas
“Lo cual” is the best choice for this sentence as it refers to something previously mentioned in the same sentence
I danced with her; that’s what I wanted.
Bailé con ella, era lo que yo deseaba.
“Lo que” is the best choice for this sentence since ‘that’ does not refer to anything specifically mentioned in the sentence.
I didn’t like what happened.
No me gustaba lo que ocurrió.
What you did is bad.
Lo que hiciste es malo.
This is what I want
Esto es lo que quiero
What you’re (pol.) proposing is very interesting.
To propose:
Lo que Ud. me propone es muy interesante.
To propose: proponer (like poner)
What you see is what’s there.
Lo que ves es lo que hay.
I have an extra blanket, which I don’t need.
Tengo una manta de sobra, lo cual no necesito.
“Lo cual” is the best choice for this sentence as it refers to something previously mentioned in the same sentence
I can’t describe what I saw in the office yesterday.
No puedo describir lo que vi en la oficina ayer.
You sing a lot, which is tiring.
Cantas mucho, lo cual es fatigoso.
“Lo cual” is the best choice for this sentence as it refers to something previously mentioned in the same sentence
There is no pool near my house, which means I don’t get a chance to swim
No hay ninguna piscina cerca de mi casa, lo cual significa que no tengo la oportunidad de nadar
“Lo cual” is best for the sentence since it refers to an antecedent specifically mentioned earlier in the phrase.
What he told me wasn’t true
Lo que me dijo no era la verdad.
He always brags, which bothers me a lot
Él siempre se jacta, lo cual me molesta mucho
That’s exactly what I wanted to say.
Eso es exactamente lo que quería decir.
It cost $100, which I thought was an excessive sum.
Costaba $100, lo cual me pareció una suma excesiva.
cien DOH-lahr-ehs
Everything that lives has a reason to live.
Todo lo que vive tiene su razón de vivir.
That has nothing to do with what Ines told you before.
Eso no tiene nada que ver con lo que Inés te dijo antes.
The floor was wet, which is why I slipped.
To slip:
El piso estaba mojado por lo cual me resbalé.
To slip: resbalar (reg)
Everything I ate was delicious.
Todo lo que comía era delicioso.
Everything he writes is good.
Todo lo que escribe es bueno
I don’t see what’s going on
No veo lo que ocurre.
therefore, so, as a result
por lo que
por lo cual (not as common)
