lo que necesitas
/lo ke neθesitas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "what you need" is translated into Spanish as lo que necesitas.
When making requests, using a verb like necesito (I need) tends to sound less demanding and more polite than using quiero (I want).
What does it mean word for word?
The part lo que literally translates to "the thing that" or "that which" to function as the relative pronoun "what" in a non-question context.
Which one should you use?
Use ¿Qué necesitas? when asking a direct question, but use lo que necesitas when "what" is part of a larger statement or an indirect question, such as "I know what you need".
How do you pronounce it?
/lo ke neθesitas/
Did you know?
- The word que in lo que necesitas is a distant relative of the English word 'who'. Both trace their roots back to the same Proto-Indo-European source for questioning.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, if you use the direct question ¿Qué necesitas? too forcefully, it can sound like a command rather than an offer.
- In fast, colloquial speech across many regions, the que in lo que necesitas is often shortened or blended with the previous word, sounding almost like loq-.
Examples in context
- Dime lo que necesitas.Tell me what you need.Tatoeba #2136787 by Shishir, translation #1645440 by Amastan
- ¿Sabes lo que necesitas?Do you know what you need?Tatoeba #4797679 by alegarvid, translation #2891097 by CK
- Tengo justo lo que necesitas.I have just what you need.Tatoeba #3682107 by Seael, translation #2359888 by CK
- Disculpe, necesito ___.Excuse me, I need ___.
- Me gustaría reservar una habitación individual si fuera posible.I would like to book a single room if possible.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier is helping María organize her desk.
- María¿Me puedes ayudar con esto?Can you help me with this?
- JavierClaro, dime lo que necesitas.Of course, tell me what you need.
- MaríaSolo necesito un poco de papel.I only need some paper.
- JavierAquí tienes, María.Here you go, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lo, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
