Folklore is full of magic, monsters, and moral lessons. When talking about these broad, abstract concepts—like "the supernatural" or "the absurd"—Spanish uses a special tool: the neuter article lo.
The neuter article "lo"
In Spanish, nouns are always either masculine or feminine. However, there is a neuter article, lo, which is used to turn an adjective into an abstract noun. To do this, simply use the formula lo + [masculine singular adjective].
| The supernatural is very popular in folklore. | Lo sobrenatural es muy popular en el folclore. |
| The wise thing is to understand the moral. | Lo sabio es entender la moraleja. |
Translating "lo + adjective"
Because English doesn't have an exact equivalent for this structure, we rely on context to translate it naturally. You will often translate lo + adjective as "the [adjective] thing," "the [adjective] part," or "what is [adjective]."
| Do you like the mysterious part of this ancient myth? | ¿Te gusta lo misterioso de este antiguo mito? |
| What is evil scares us, even though the hero always wins. | Lo malvado nos asusta, aunque el héroe siempre gana. |
Combining abstract concepts
You can easily list or combine these abstract concepts to describe the complex themes found in traditional myths and legends.
| Why does folklore mix the absurd and the magical? | ¿Por qué el folclore mezcla lo absurdo y lo mágico? |
| The absurd and incredible part of the myth is fun. | Lo absurdo e increíble del mito es divertido. |