Referring to abstract ideas: lo que
In the previous lesson, you learned how to use el que and la que to refer back to specific nouns. But what if you need to refer to an abstract idea, a situation, or something you don't know the name of?
For these cases, you use the neuter relative pronoun lo que. It doesn't refer to a specific masculine or feminine noun, so it never changes for gender or number. It often translates to "what" (in the sense of "that which") in English.
| I am complaining because what I received is defective. | Reclamo porque lo que recibí está defectuoso. |
| What I need is good service and the warranty. | Lo que necesito es una buena atención y la garantía. |
| The manager says that is not what he promised. | El gerente dice que eso no es lo que prometió. |
Referring to a whole preceding clause
You can also use lo que to refer back to an entire preceding statement, action, or situation. In this case, it usually translates to "which" in English, and is usually separated by a comma.
This is especially useful when expressing dissatisfaction or filing complaints to explain why a whole situation is unacceptable!
| I complain because the product is defective, which is unacceptable. | Yo reclamo porque el producto está defectuoso, lo que es inaceptable. |
| The ad deceives the consumer, which is a fraud. | El anuncio engaña al consumidor, lo que es un fraude. |
| The new product broke on me, which is terrible. | Se me rompió el producto nuevo, lo que es terrible. |