Breakdown of ¿Quieres azúcar en tu taza? Te lo preparo.
en
in / on / at
tu
your
querer
to want
preparar
to prepare
te
to you / you (direct object)
lo
it / him (direct object)
el azúcar
the sugar
la taza
the cup
Questions & Answers about ¿Quieres azúcar en tu taza? Te lo preparo.
Why do we say Te lo preparo instead of Te preparo lo or Lo te preparo?
When you have two object pronouns, they must both go immediately before a conjugated verb like preparo. The indirect object (who it is for, like te) always goes before the direct object (what is being handled, like lo). Just remember: people before things!
What does the lo in Te lo preparo stand for?
It stands for azúcar (sugar) from the first sentence. Since azúcar is treated as a masculine noun here, it is replaced by the masculine pronoun lo meaning "it".
The translation says "I will prepare," but preparo is the present tense. Why aren't we using a future tense?
In Spanish, the present tense is frequently used to talk about the immediate future, especially when you are offering to do something for someone right on the spot. Te lo preparo naturally translates to "I'll prepare it for you" or "Let me prepare it for you."
Can I attach te lo to the end of the verb to make one big word?
Not here. You can only stick pronouns onto the end of infinitives (unconjugated verbs like preparar), commands, or "-ing" words (like preparando). Because preparo is a regular conjugated verb, the pronouns te lo have to stay separate and go in front.
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