¿lo quieres?
The English phrase "do you want it?" is translated into Spanish as ¿lo quieres?
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone desires to have or possess a specific object.
What does it mean word for word?
The word lo functions as the direct object pronoun meaning "it" for masculine nouns.
Which one should you use?
The form ¿lo quieres? is the informal way to ask the question, while ¿lo desea? serves as a formal alternative.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear ¿lo quieres? to express this idea or you might hear ¿Quieres eso?
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun must match the gender of the object being discussed. If the object being referred to is a feminine noun, you must change the masculine pronoun lo to the feminine la, resulting in ¿la quieres? Additionally, to use the formal third-person singular conjugation, you can say ¿lo quiere usted?
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word querer can mean both 'to want' and 'to love'. Depending on the context and the person you are speaking to, ¿lo quieres? could be interpreted as asking if someone loves a person or a pet.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿lo quieres? when offering food is often met with a polite initial refusal, even if the person actually wants it.
- The pronoun lo in ¿lo quieres? descends from the Latin word illum, which originally meant 'that one' or 'that over there'.
Examples in context
- ¿Quieres el libro? ¿Lo quieres?Do you want the book? Do you want it?
- ¿Lo quieres?Do you want it?
- Es un regalo, ¿lo quieres?It is a gift, do you want it?
- Tengo el último libro, ¿lo quieres?I have the last book, do you want it?
Example conversation
Sofía is showing Daniel a piece of cake.
- SofíaMira este pastel, ¿lo quieres?Look at this cake, do you want it?
- DanielSí, se ve delicioso.Yes, it looks delicious.
- SofíaToma, aquí tienes tu trozo.Here, here is your piece.
- DanielMuchas gracias, Sofía.Thank you very much, Sofía.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
