¿lo hiciste?
The English phrase "did you do it?" is translated into Spanish as ¿lo hiciste?
This phrase is used to ask if someone has completed a specific task or action. You can also use ¿Ya lo hiciste? to specifically ask "Did you do it already?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the direct object pronoun lo (it), the verb hiciste (you did) and the question marks.
How does it change in a sentence?
Spanish uses both an opening (¿) and a closing (?) question mark to indicate a question. To ask a single person formally, replace hiciste with hizo usted to form ¿lo hizo usted? (did you do it?). If you are asking a group of people if they completed the task, use the third-person plural form ¿lo hicieron? (did you all do it?). Finally, if the "it" being referred to is a feminine noun, such as la tarea (the homework), you must change the pronoun to la to get ¿la hiciste?
Did you know?
- The verb hacer is part of a small group of verbs that can change meaning entirely when paired with lo. For example, hacerlo usually means 'to do it', but in some contexts, it can be a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.
- The opening question mark ¿ is a relatively modern addition to Spanish, having been standardized by the Real Academia Española in the 18th century to help readers anticipate the inflection of a question.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿Lo hiciste? directly can come across as impatient or pushy. It is often more polite to use the conditional mood to soften the inquiry.
Examples in context
- Dime, ¿lo hiciste?Tell me, did you do it?
Example conversation
María is asking Javier about a chore he promised to finish.
- MaríaJavier, ¿lo hiciste?Javier, did you do it?
- JavierSí, lo hice esta mañana.Yes, I did it this morning.
- María¡Qué bueno! Gracias.That's great! Thanks.
- JavierDe nada, María.You're welcome, María.
