What does it mean word for word?
The phrase todo el mundo literally translates to 'all the world', but it is the standard way to say 'everybody' or 'everyone' in Spanish.
Which one should you use?
While todo el mundo lo sabe uses a singular subject (the world), you can also say todos lo saben to mean 'they all know it'. Both are used to convey that everybody knows.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and parts of Central America, people often use todo mundo sabe instead of todo el mundo sabe.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase todo el mundo lo sabe includes the direct object pronoun lo (it), which is necessary in Spanish to refer back to the fact being known. While todo el mundo lo sabe means 'everybody knows it', you can omit the lo in the phrase todo el mundo sabe if you are making a general statement of knowledge without a specific object, though lo sabe is more common when referring to a specific piece of information.
How do you pronounce it?
/todo el mundo lo sabe/
Did you know?
- The word mundo comes from the Latin mundus, which originally meant 'clean' or 'elegant' before it ever meant 'the world'.
- While todo el mundo implies a global scale, it is used in Spanish even when referring to a tiny group of people, such as a single family.
- The word todo is a close relative of the English word 'total', as both trace their roots back to the Latin tōtus.
Examples in context
- Todo el mundo lo sabe.Everybody knows that.Tatoeba #531797 by Shishir, translation #449205 by CK
- Todo el mundo sabe que el sol es caliente.Everybody knows that the sun is hot.
- No hace falta decir nada, todo el mundo lo sabe.There is no need to say anything, everybody knows it.
- Es un secreto a voces, pero todo el mundo lo sabe.It is an open secret, but everybody knows it.
- 1 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing a local rumor at a cafe.
- Elena¿Sabes que el restaurante va a cerrar?Do you know that the restaurant is going to close?
- JavierSí, todo el mundo lo sabe ya.Yes, everybody knows it already.
- ElenaParece que es inevitable.It seems to be inevitable.
- JavierEs una lástima para el barrio.It is a shame for the neighborhood.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, lo, mundo, todo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
