Referring to a situation (lo de que)

When gossiping or complaining about a specific situation, rumor, or new rule, use the phrase lo de que ("the thing about..." or "the fact that..."). Combine it with a conjugated clause to turn an event into a single concept you can comment on.

The thing about them reducing the capacity is outrageous.
Lo de que reducen el aforo es indignante.

Because lo de que acts like a noun, it can follow prepositions like sobre (about) to discuss the latest gossip.

The women whisper about the thing about the capacity being limited.
Las mujeres cuchichean sobre lo de que el aforo está limitado.

You will also use this structure to confirm or deny rumors, pairing it with phrases like es mentira (it is a lie), es verdad (it is true), or es real (it is real).

The thing about them penalizing you for the mat is a lie.
Lo de que te penalizan por la colchoneta es mentira.

When reporting what someone said, you will often see que (that) right before lo de que. While it might look repetitive, this is entirely natural in conversational Spanish.

The guy says that the thing about them fining us for the locker is real.
El chico dice que lo de que nos multan por el casillero es real.