Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Mi reloj es pequeño, pero lo uso todos los días. - My watch is small, but I use it every day.

Reloj is masculine and singular.
The masculine singular direct object pronoun is lo.
If the noun were feminine singular (for example, la mesa), you would use la instead.

So:

Mi reloj es pequeño, pero lo uso todos los días.
→ lo = mi reloj

Could I say le uso instead of lo uso?

No, not in standard Spanish for an object like reloj.

Lo is the correct direct object pronoun for masculine singular things: lo uso.
Le is normally an indirect object pronoun (for people), e.g. Le hablo (I talk to him/her).

In Spain, some speakers use le instead of lo for male people (this is called leísmo), for example:

Veo a Juan → Le veo.

But le is not used for things like reloj. For a watch you should say:

Lo uso todos los días.

Why is the verb usar used here? In English I’d say I wear my watch every day, not I use my watch.

In Spanish, usar can cover both use and wear, depending on the context.

With clothes and accessories, both are common:

Uso mi reloj todos los días.
Llevo mi reloj todos los días.

Subtle nuance:

usar focuses on the practical use of the object.
llevar focuses on having it on you / wearing it.

In everyday speech, both are fine for a watch. If you specifically want to mirror English wear, llevar is very natural:

Mi reloj es pequeño, pero lo llevo todos los días.

Why is it es pequeño and not está pequeño?

Ser (es) and estar (está) have different uses:

es pequeño (with ser) describes an inherent or general characteristic:
The watch is small as a basic quality.
está pequeño (with estar) would suggest a temporary or resulting state, often meaning something like it has become too small / it’s small for me now.

So:

Mi reloj es pequeño → The watch is small in general.
Mi reloj está pequeño → Suggests the size is a problem now (e.g., it no longer fits your wrist), more like it’s too small.

In this neutral description, es pequeño is the normal choice.

Why does the adjective pequeño come after reloj? Can I say Mi pequeño reloj?

Most adjectives in Spanish normally go after the noun:

Mi reloj pequeño
Mi reloj pequeño es nuevo.

So reloj pequeño is the default order.

Some adjectives can go before the noun, often with a slight change of nuance or focus. With pequeño:

Mi pequeño reloj is also correct.
It sounds a bit more expressive or literary, almost like my little watch, focusing on it in a more personal way.

Neutral, descriptive Spanish tends to use:

Mi reloj pequeño (noun + adjective).

But both orders are grammatically fine.

Why is it Mi reloj and not El reloj mío?

Spanish has two main ways to express possession:

Short possessive adjective before the noun:
- mi reloj (my watch)
- tu reloj (your watch)
- su reloj (his/her/their/your-formal watch)
Long possessive form after the noun, often with an article:
- el reloj mío (literally: the watch of mine)
- el reloj tuyo, el reloj suyo

In everyday speech, the first form is much more common:

Mi reloj es pequeño. ✅ (normal, neutral)

The second form is used for emphasis or contrast:

No ese, el reloj mío.
(Not that one, my watch.)

So Mi reloj es pequeño is the natural, unmarked choice here.

Why do we say todos los días and not todos días?

In Spanish, when you say every day, every week, etc., you normally include the definite article:

todos los días (every day)
todas las semanas (every week)
todos los meses (every month)

So:

todos los días ✅
todos días ❌ (incorrect)

The pattern is:

todos / todas + article (los / las) + plural noun

What is the difference between todos los días and cada día?

Both can translate as every day, but there is a nuance:

todos los días
- Very common in everyday speech.
- Neutral way to say every day or each day.
cada día
- Slightly more individualizing: each day.
- Can sound a bit more stylistic or emphatic, depending on context.

In this sentence, both are acceptable:

… lo uso todos los días. ✅
… lo uso cada día. ✅

The first is more frequent in casual conversation.

Is reloj masculine or feminine, and how do I know?

Reloj is masculine:

el reloj
un reloj
mi reloj
Pronoun: lo (as in lo uso)

There is no reliable rule from the ending -j; you simply have to learn reloj as masculine.

A good habit is to learn new nouns with their article:

el reloj → masculine
This helps you choose the right pronouns (lo), adjectives (pequeño), and determiners (un, el, mi).

What tense is uso, and what does it imply about the action?

Uso is the present indicative, first person singular of usar.

In Spanish, the simple present is used for:

Actions happening now:
- Uso el ordenador. (I am using the computer.)
Habitual or repeated actions:
- Lo uso todos los días. (I use it / I wear it every day.)

So in this sentence, lo uso todos los días expresses a regular habit, like English I use it every day or I wear it every day.

Why is there a comma before pero?

The comma before pero is standard in both Spanish and English when pero (but) connects two independent clauses:

Mi reloj es pequeño, pero lo uso todos los días.

Each part could be a sentence on its own:

Mi reloj es pequeño.
Lo uso todos los días.

The comma marks the pause and contrast introduced by pero.
In Spanish writing, it is normal and recommended to put a comma before pero in sentences like this.